Movie Review: 'The King's Speech' is a fine if misrated R film
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sun, 01/30/2011 - 3:09pm
The highly touted English film "The King's Speech" has finally made its way to the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, in time the for the Academy Awards next month where it is a strong favorite to win an Oscar or two. It's nominated for 12 awards.
So it took its time to reach us, but the wait was worthwhile as this is clearly a superior historical drama with a fine cast.
Story is that the duke of York, second in line for the throne, stammers. Albert (Bertie among the family) is shown making a poor speech and suffering but sure that he will not ascend to the throne as his elder brother Edward is first in line.
Bertie goes through treatment for his stammer by the orthodox school but it doesn't work and he vows to give up on the problem. But his wife Queen Elizabeth contacts a failed Australian actor Lionel Logue and Bertie gives him a try. Slowly Bertie progresses and as his brother William abdicates to marry American divorcee Willis Simpson he is forced to read the announcement to Great Britain by radio of war with Germany. He does successfully.
Colin Firth plays Bertie and Geoffery Rush is Logue with Helene Bonham Carter as the queen. All are simply excellent, with the help of such as Derek Jacobi as the archbishop of Canterbury and Guy Pearce as Edward and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill. Carter herself is a steady rock against which the others play. A text afterward notes that Logue worked with Bertie throughout the war, helping him with his many speeches.
How good is this film? Simply as good as it gets, and there isn't a car chase or explosion in it. Costumes are excellent and authentic, scenes are impressive, directing firm but unobtrusive.
A winner at the Awards? Not much real competition, aside from that fine thriller "Red" or the European-style thriller "The American." So see it now. Tell them Sam sent you.
— Sam Bauman
Cast
— Colin Firth as King George VI
— Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth
— Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue
— Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII/Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor
— Michael Gambon as King George V
— Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill
— Jennifer Ehle as Myrtle Logue
— Derek Jacobi as Cosmo Gordon Lang (Archbishop of Canterbury)
— Anthony Andrews as Stanley Baldwin
— Eve Best as Wallis Simpson
— Freya Wilson as Princess Elizabeth
— Ramona Marquez as Princess Margaret
— Claire Bloom as Queen Mary
— Marshal Mason as Sir Walter Gray
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Produced by: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin, Geoffrey Rush
Written by: David Seidler
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography: Danny Cohen
Editing by: Tariq Anwar Studio
Rated R for some unfathomable reason.
