Reviews by Matt

“The Kings Speech” follows the rise of King George VI before and leading up to England’s involvement in World War II. Prince Albert (Colin Firth) speaks with a stutter and is terrified to make speeches. In an effort to cure him of his stutter, his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) meets with Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) a speech therapist and gets him to agree to treat her husband.

I was blown away by this movie. I went in not really interested in it, but left shocked at how much I loved it. I knew very little about it going in and had managed to avoid much of the hype. It is everything you have heard. It is a stunningly made and amazingly acted.

Of the two lead actors, I was most impressed with Rush. Lionel has a respect for the future king, but demands the same back. He treats Prince Albert as an equal and even calls him “Bertie,” a nickname reserved for use only by those in the royal family. Prince Albert allows Lionel these liberties and the two of them form a tenuous friendship. The relationship is tested at many points. Things are said and done that cross a line when dealing with a prince. Rush gives an Oscar worthy performance by making Lionel someone who is not afraid to do what is best for his patient. He is steadfast in his convictions and does not relent even in the face of a king.

Firth also deserves the nomination he recently received. Albert is a man looking to find his voice. He is not the most strong-willed member of the family. His doubts about his ability to give a speech lead to his fear of becoming the king. There is a power in his transformation we see in the two bookends of the film. In the beginning we see him struggle to give a speech at the closing of the 1925 Empire Exhibition to reading the declaration of war that brought Britain into World War II. I was impressed at what a convincing stutter Firth had and part of me thinks that this is why he was nominated.

Come Oscar night, I expect to see this win many of its 12 possible Oscars. The performances alone are reason enough to see this. Rush and Firth are stunning to watch and make these two characters powerful to watch in screen.

9 out of 10
Rated R for some language
118 min