Movie Review – The King’s Speech

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce

Colin Firth adds yet another amazing performance to his already impressive resume. Here he plays Prince Albert, the man who reluctantly became King George VI after his older brother King Edward VIII (Pearce) abdicated the throne in 1936. His hesitations came not only out of love for his older brother but also because of a speech impediment that made life in the public eye a nightmare.

Known as Bertie to his friends and family Prince Albert had a stutter that tormented him much of his life. His wife Elizabeth (Bonham Carter) then introduces him to Lionel Logue (Rush), an Australian speech therapist. Although Logue’s methods are unorthodox, he and Bertie eventually form a friendship that lasts for the rest of their lives.

The movie leads up to the speech made to Brits on the eve of World War II.  At a nerve-wracking nine minutes, Bertie valiantly battles through it with Logue at his side to guide him. From that day on, Logue was at Bertie’s side for every major speaking function.

Grade: A

Trivia: Although Guy Pearce plays the older brother in this film, he is in fact seven years younger than Colin Firth.

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