Drawn upon a rich narrative and set amidst the beautiful wintery landscape of England in the pre war years, The King's Speech is poignant, exuberant and unexpected in many ways. It is a biopic about the stammering King George VI (played by Colin Firth) who found himself ascending the throne following his brother's forced abdication overcoming his stammer and ultimately finding his voice to helm the nation to greatness. It is a moving story about an unexpected friendship developed between a king and his unorthodox speech therapist that marked the beginning of a great era in the history of Britain's monarchy.
The film opens with various close shots of a wireless broadcast mic that at once seem looming, large and intimidating. Director Tom Hooper is a master at the art form as throughout the film, it is worth noting the many interesting juxtaposition of camera angles especially during the interplays between the king and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush) as well as from the king's point of view behind the mic during his public deliveries.
The magic of The King's Speech lies in the subtle and gradual transformations in the king where we see him slowly overcoming his speech impediment and eventually finding his own style of eloquence. Colin Firth played his regal part resplendently and sublimely as though the role was created for him. This was a transcendental and career stamping moment for him as we did not just watch a performance by an actor. Firth disappeared behind his character and gelled into a singular entity with the stammering and volatile King George VI.
On the other hand, Helena Bonham Carter who plays Queen Elizabeth seemed a tad out of her element and mellow compared to her usual selection of roles but still played her part with elegance while Geoffrey Rush was his usual refined self displaying his competency and buoyancy in his acting prowess. The screenplay written by David Seidler is delicate and intelligent while the hauntingly beautiful score by Alexandre Desplat is reminiscent of the work of Jan A.P. Kaczmarek in Hachiko: A Dog's Story while not in any way, discounting his talents.
The King's Speech is artfully and brilliantly directed and there are moments in the film that will get you laughing out loud. It is engaging, magnificent and leaves one feeling triumphant at the end. Rating 9/10
