A
film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net on Dec. 18th,
2010.
The King's Speech delivers solid
drama with a rousing climax - a fully satisfying and uplifting period piece
that achieves its dramatic potential without sacrificing historical accuracy.
Unless you count Hitler, who is seen from afar, the narrative is villain-free,
allowing the focus to be on the internal and interpersonal struggles of the
characters - a more rewarding approach than when a bad guy is invented to fill
the need for a conventional conflict. Even though it is set against the
backdrop of mid-20th century British royalty, there are no barriers to
mainstream accessibility. The wealth of acting mined by director Tom Hooper may represent the best
ensemble not only of this year but of the last several years. Big and small,
there are some astounding performances here.
The
film opens in 1925. The man who will become King George VI (Colin Firth) is now merely Prince
Albert. His official title is the Duke of York and, because he's the second son
of King George V (Michael Gambon),
he is not expected to ascend to the throne because that role will fall to his
older brother, Prince Edward (Guy Pearce).
A life away from the relentless attention of Buckingham Palace is suitable for
Albert and his wife, Elizabeth (Helena
Bonham Carter), who do not desire to be king and queen. And there's another
issue: royalty in the age of radio presents a unique challenge for Albert, who
is afflicted with a stammer that hampers his ability to speak publically (and,
at times, privately). In an attempt to be free of this impediment, he visits
Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a
speech therapist known for unorthodox methods. Logue's importance in Albert's
life escalates when circumstances conspire to make him the king of England at a
time when the storm clouds of World War II are gathering on the horizon.
Although
The King's Speech is primarily a drama and can be seen as a buddy movie and an
instance of the underdog triumphant, there are plenty of humorous moments. None
of the comedy is overdone or out-of-place. One can easily imagine, for example,
the amusing awkwardness that would affect a middle-class wife upon discovering
the Duchess of York sitting at her modest dining room table. The King's Speech is as positive and
life-affirming as any recent movie. Like a sports figure who overcomes
incredible odds to score the winning points, King George VI is presented as a
man who, through sheer force of will and because of the trust he places in
Lionel, is able to surmount the obstacle that blocks his path. Too frequently,
we leave movies largely unmoved by the experience; The King's Speech sends viewers home with smiles on their faces and
lilts in their hearts.
Rarely
have we observed so many fantastic performances in one movie. First and
foremost is Colin Firth who may win the Oscar (and, if he doesn't, he should).
Perhaps the best way to describe the way Firth inhabits the character is to
recall Helen Mirren's astounding turn in The
Queen. It's the same sort of thing - a man who sheds his skin and crawls
inside that of another so fully that we believe in the character. Geoffrey
Rush, with his hangdog face, is the perfect foil for Firth. Rush gives Lionel a
false bravado to cover his inner uncertainty about serving such a distinguished
client. Beneath the seemingly confident exterior, we see the softer, gentler
man. Firth and Rush share strong chemistry, which is critical in any buddy
film, irrespective of how offbeat it may be. There's also no shortage of
chemistry between Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, whose Elizabeth is a delight.
She's sharp-witted and whip-smart but capable of great caring and humanity.
The
secondary cast is populated by notable names giving sterling performances.
There's Timothy Spall, whose
interpretation of Winston Churchill is more than an exercise in mimicry. Derek Jacobi, who played a famous
stammerer as the title character in I,
Claudius, is the cranky and propriety-conscious Archbishop Lang. The royal
family is filled out by Michael Gambon as George V, Claire Bloom as his wife, Queen Mary, and Guy Pearce as Edward,
whose infatuation with a twice-divorced American woman creates problems for his
reign. Finally, Jennifer Ehle's
participation as Lionel's wife allows her an opportunity to be reunited with
her Pride and Prejudice co-star,
Firth. This is the first time they have shared the screen since that monumental
mini-series.
The
final scene, which gives the movie its title, represents not only the climax of
the story but the moment in which all the elements come together - Firth and
Rush's acting; the classical strains of the score; the stark simplicity of the
production design (the room in which the speech is given is functional and
unadorned). Hooper orchestrates everything with flawless diction in his
cinematic language. The microphone looms not merely as an aid to voice
amplification and recording, but as an implacable enemy - the faceless foe
George VI must defeat by exorcising his own personal demons. It's an amazing
moment.
The
MPAA, in its infinite wisdom, has chosen to saddle The King's Speech with an R rating, believing there are too many fucks. Jack Nicholson got away with 2.5
gratuitous fucks in How Do You Know, but that inferior
picture survived with a PG-13. Admittedly, there are more than 2.5 fucks in The King's Speech (as are there in this now R-rated review), but
they are anything but gratuitous. They serve a purpose within the context of
speech therapy. The MPAA has once again shown its narrow-mindedness. Those fucks are the only reason this is
R-rated. There's no sex or violence, just one word spoken a few too many times.
The King's Speech is everything a
good movie should be. When the two hour running time expires, many will wish
there were more minutes to come. With its deceptively complex drama, skillful
direction and polished screenplay, and top-notch acting, The King's Speech illustrates by example how disappointingly
lacking so many recent would-be dramas have been. This is a deeply human story
that touches the heart and inspires the audience not only in relation to the
characters and their circumstances but as a reminder that, in the dreary muddle
of 2010's mediocrity, a motion picture like this can still make it to theaters.
[Berardinelli’s rating: *** 1/2 out of 4]
Labels:
biography, drama, history, period
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