Totally Unauthorized

Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter bring King George VI to life

I’d hate to be the guy who thought he had a chance at an Oscar this year, before The Kings Speech came out.  His chances have dropped into oblivion.

Colin Firth is regal in his role as Albert, second son of King George V, father of Queen Elizabeth II. He stammers.  He stutters.  He is simply unable to get the words out, and makes you ache for him.  He has seen every speech specialist in England, to no avail.

Then his wife, wonderfully played by Helena Bonham Carter, stumbles on Lionel Logue (played to perfection by Geoffrey Rush), an utterly uncredentialed, unconventional Australian emigre who offers a ray of hope.

Combining speech therapy with psychotherapy, some progress is achieved.  Logue insists on equality, and calls the prince “Bertie”, a simply unheard of thing for a commoner.

Of course, the world is still happening.  Bertie’s father, King George V, dies.  His brother David advances to the throne as Edward VIII, but he is in love with Wallis Simpson (played astonishingly well by Eve Best), and is not really interested in the affairs of state anyway.  When Edward abdicates, Bertie is forced into a role he never really wants and feels inadequate for.

Through all these crises, Logue continues to work with Bertie.  They have a falling out, just before the abdication, but it is mended. Logue’s wife doesn’t know the identity of his star pupil, then is surprised to find a very important visitor in her home.

We simply loved this movie, as does almost everyone else (it gets a 96 on the Tomatometer).  The acting is perfect, the costumes and scenery are breathtaking, the story is compelling and delightful.

Go see it.