Culture

Directed by Tom Hooper. 5/5
So yeah, The King's Speech won Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Actor and Screenplay at the Academy Awards last week; I guess it deserves a mention in the hallowed pages of Critic. Not just another “historical drama” (a genre which can be boring), the film follows the personal struggles and triumph of Prince Albert during a tumultuous time for the House of Windsor.
 
In an award-winning performance, Colin Firth plays Prince Albert – an introverted, nervous man who suffers from a terrible stutter. Being often required to speak publicly as part of his royal duties is a source of immense frustration and embarrassment for the Prince. Desperate to put an end to his impediment, and having found no success with royally appointed “medical experts”, Albert seeks treatment from Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) who with his "unorthodox" methods makes a surprising impression on the future King. The two form a rather interesting relationship and Logue becomes indispensable to Albert as he ascends to the throne (thus becoming King George VI) in the midst of a constitutional crisis.
 
The beautiful period sets and costumes, and well-crafted script, are highlights of the film but it is the brilliant acting that makes The King’s Speech so remarkable. Colin Firth channels the stoic, vulnerable Prince Albert in his usual dashing style, and does so excellently. In a departure from her recent darker roles, Helena Bonham-Carter is fabulous as Albert’s wife Elizabeth and pulls off the Queen’s English impeccably, while Rush’s droll character provides comic relief in an otherwise quite serious film. 
 
If the bunch of Oscars under this film’s proverbial belt isn’t enough to convince you to see The King’s Speech, I can also personally recommend it. An engaging, emotionally intense film, it is fully deserving of its prize haul and well worth a visit to the cinema.