Colin Firth plays Albert (Bertie to friends), the Duke of York and the second in line to the English throne. Albert (George VI as king) is a dutiful royal, but is hampered by a debilitating stammer. He takes some comfort in the knowledge that his glamorous, playboy brother (a delightful Guy Pearce) will be the next king. Sensing his distress and public embarrassment, Albert's wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter plays the young Queen Mother beautifully) seeks out noted speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). The eccentric Australian may be unorthodox in his methods, but Albert overcomes his initial reluctance, and begins to seek help for what he considers to be his affliction.
The educated know what happens next - brother Edward abdicates the thrown to shack up with American divorcee Wallis Simpson and Albert finds himself as King of England. 2011 is surely the year for Colin 'Mr Darcy' Firth to follow in the footsteps of Dame Helen Mirren and win the big golden statuette for portraying a royal - incidentally, George VI is Elizabeth II's father. With such a flawless performance, the audience is front and centre with Bertie and sympathizing with him for each and every second of the drama as he battles with various microphones, desperately seeking a normal voice for his country to hear. Already the Oscar frontrunner, potential nominees such as James Franco (127 Hours) and Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter) can only hope for a sniff of recognition during awards season as Firth is clearing up. Even Jeff Bridges' excellent turn in the Coens' True Grit may go unrewarded and not make it two in a row for him after last year's Crazy Heart.
The King's Speech works on two levels. It's an intimate portrait of the relationship between two very different men; the pampered royal figure who's terrified of the responsibility that looms in front of him, and the downtrodden working-class man who dreams of making an impact on the world. Firth and Rush give such nuanced, passionate and heart-breaking performances. But this is also an historical drama, and director Hooper, who's had acclaim with television dramas on Elizabeth I and American President John Adams, understands the weight of this material perfectly, littering the narrative with historical incidents but never straying from the sensitive main point of the film, the speech impediment which could have easily destroyed Albert's regal aura.
The film comments on so many things, such as the inaction of the British Government to deal with the Nazi threat, the scandal caused by the abdication, and the way the media (particularly radio) was beginning to change the way the public perceived important figures such as the royal family. While Firth and Rush lead the charge in the dramatic stakes, they are supported by such acting luminaries as Derek Jacobi, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon and the aforementioned Pearce in a scene-stealing role. One of the most startling performances though is by Helena Bonham Carter as the future Queen Mother. She is warm and tender, while exuding an effortless royal presence. After years of scenery chewing in husband Tim Burton's works, it's nice to see a more delicately shaded performance from her.
Regardless of how Hooper's 1930s sets look extremely authentic and the perfect dialogue never misses a theatrical beat with its equal measure of low self-esteemed drama (from Firth) and cheeky comedy (from Rush), one can never escape how this is pure and simply an awards-friendly outing undertaken exceptionally well. Firth, the Englishman typecast for so long by romantic comedies until last year's A Single Man, looks a shoe-in for Academy recognition and it would be a crime if Rush was not at least nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Summary
The King's Speech may focus on a stammer as its central theme, but Tom Hooper's exquisite film cannot help but hammer home in a crystal clear manner how it's an exercise in pure class. Brilliant.
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