King's Speech

Saturday night on February 12th, I saw The King's Speech. It has an amazing cast: Colin Firth as Bertie aka King George VI (Mr. Darcy from the BBC Pride & Prejudice), Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth (Bellatrix in Harry Potter and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd), Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue the speech therapist (Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean), Jennifer Ehle as Mrs. Logue (Elizabeth Bennett from the BBC Pride & Prejudice), Michael Gambon as King George V (Dumbledore in Harry Potter), Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII (Count Mondego in The Count of Monte Cristo), and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill (Wormtail in Harry Potter and countless other roles in my favorite movies). The reason why I listed all those actors is because they're wonderful actors from some of my very favorite movies. And King's Speech was also an amazing film. The first part builds up a lot of pressure and then you're taken completely off-guard by Logue's humor. Helena Bonham Carter is amazing as the queen; she is usually cast as a super crazy lady (ex: Bellatrix, the Red Queen, Mrs. Lovett) so this was a much different role for her.

The film as a whole was very well done - the cinematography and script were presented in such a way that it emphasized the little comedic moments in a time of great stress and seriousness. You could also see very clearly the contrast of English class and how each of them attempts to alleviate the pressures of responsibility and respectability.

It was rated R, not for sexuality or violence, but for language. Which was hilarious. The king stammers, a huge problem when you are an important public figure. In his therapy sessions, he discovers that he doesn't stammer when he is angry and/or swearing, so he goes on a cussing rampage. It's kindof refreshing for him (just going off and not having to be restrained to respectability) and for the viewer (seeing him let go of his tension and gain confidence).

It's also a great glimpse into history. King George V dies, and Bertie's brother is next in line, but he marries a divorced woman and steps down. This leaves Bertie to become the next King - right before World War II. He is thrown into the responsibility of kingship with a serious speech impediment. It's a really inspiring and heartwarming movie. I love the dry British humor and the personal look at history.

Also, I still love Colin Firth.