The King's Speech - Movie Review

The King's Speech was released at the end of 2011, just in time to be considered for the 2011 Oscars. This was a film built to win awards. And win awards it did, racking in nearly 200 nominations, winning over half of the hardware it was nominated for. Among the dozens of nominations were eleven Oscar nominations. The film won four, to include Best Motion Picture.

The King's Speech had heavy influences from William Shakespeare. While there were plenty of Shakespearean quotes in the film, I found the one most applicable line from Shakespeare missing. "Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them." Maybe that would have been too obvious. After all, this film elevated dialogue to an artistic level.

Minor Spoilers

I mention the Shakespeare quote because King George VI (often referred to as "Bertie" by his closest family), was the unlikeliest of heirs to the throne. He was the younger brother of the legitimate heir, King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce). Bertie also had a severe speech impediment. It is difficult to be the "voice of the people" when you cannot give a speech. Bertie's wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) cringes at her husband's inability to complete his public speaking engagements and wants to help him. Her search leads her to the door of an Australian speech therapist, Logue (Geoffrey Rush).

A reluctant relationship develops between Logue and the future King, as they engage in a variety of exercises designed to help Bertie labor through his speeches. The odd pairing results in surprising successes. While Bertie never fully shakes his speech impediment, he finds unique ways to structure his speeches so that the stammering becomes pauses for effect. He also finds that he does not stammer when he swears, so he sometimes swears in his head during pauses (I was waiting for him to accidentally slip a "fck" into one of his speeches). As a commoner and an outsider, Logue is challenged by the King's inner circle before his coronation. But Logue is not like other people, while he has a respect for the Monarchy, his unconventional methods and personal relationship with the King win out.

Spoiler Alert Ended

David Seidler did a phenomenal job with the writing. I was surprised to see that there was only one writer on this screenplay, because the writing was brilliant. With period pieces based on actual events, there are many challenges. I think that sometimes the challenges become the focus and the actual writing takes a back seat. Seidler did a flawless job of creating a touching drama while bringing real characters to life without sacrificing dialogue. The witty and original dialogue was sharp, unpredictable and refreshing. It was sheer pleasure. Seidler created some great set-ups for the stammering King to demonstrate his keen intellect and incredible sense of humor. Seidler used the timing to his own advantage, which was genius.

Because The King's Speech is a period piece, I was on the lookout for anachronisms. I did not see any that stuck out. The only question I had was with the quality of the paint and trim work in the hallway of the Prince's mansion. But that may have actually been intentional and accurate. I don't know enough about the 1930s to understand if the walls would have been as battered as they appeared in the film. Beyond that niggle, the props, scenery and costumes all created an exceptional illusion without high tech CGI. Sometimes, good old-fashioned costumes and sets are just what movie goers need. I like CGI, don't get me wrong. But there is something to be said about the artistic quality of good costumes and sets. This film brought those elements together nicely.

Colin Firth delivered a flawlessly flawed performance. His stammering was almost irritating at times, which was reflected in the faces of the other actors and extras on-screen. The subtle embarrassment or disappointment of those around the future King added context to the importance of his ability to communicate clearly. The value of his words were given weight by his performance and the performances of those around him. It felt like Firth helped elevate the other actors, who were also exceptional. Helena Bonham Carter was elegant and credible as the future Queen. I like that Seidler gave her a subtle humility. While she maintained decorum, there was a likability that could not be missed. Rush possessed the quirky non-conformist aura that made his performance believable. Not many actors could challenge a King from his own throne and pull it off. Rush was stellar. The balance between the two actors (Rush and Firth) was perfection. Even the smaller parts appeared to be cast with an eye for detail. There were no "minor parts" in this film to my eye. It appeared that careful deliberation went into each of the selections. When only the highest quality is acceptable in a film, it shows.

I only have one thing to say about the MPAA rating of R. WTF? C'mon already. This rating is ridiculous. The swearing is contextual. It is therapeutic. It is humorous. It is not blatant. It is not overdone. It is not gratuitous. It is an essential part of the story. The King's Speech contains no nudity, drug use or violence. This rating flows simply from the curse words. The MPAA needs to grow up and quit being a bunch of prudish hens. I am sick of films like this getting restricted from broader audiences. This film is about overcoming obstacles, unlikely friendships and has a historic foundation. The "F" bomb appears 17 times. So what??? Most of them were in rapid succession in a single sentence. This rating just isn't right. Let your kids see this film...the valuable lessons and rich cinematography far outweigh a few F bombs. The MPAA should go hang out on a Middle School playground for a few hours and count the F words. They might be shocked. Heck, they will probably have heart attacks.

Hopefully I wasn't too hard on the MPAA. Okay, who cares if I was? I certainly don't. The King's Speech offers a brilliant perspective of the obstacles that King George VI overcame while being thrust into his position after his brother abdicated the throne. The story is remarkable because of the unlikely bond that forms between the King and a commoner. But it excels on dialogue. While the characters are given rich traits, their dialogue was decadent. It was brilliant. I laughed, I cried (okay, I didn't cry...but I did feel a bit touched). This film should not be missed. If you somehow managed to miss this film, find it, stream it and enjoy. 8/10.

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