'The King's Speech' is a very solid, spectacularly acted movie. Colin Firth is damn near perfect, and Geoffrey Rush may be even better. The two actors work very well together on the screen and play perfect counterparts to one another's mannerisms. Although nearly two hours long, the film is never boring, and the pacing by Director Tom Hooper is very well done. You're able to get a full sense of the kind of person that King George VI (Firth) is as he rises to the throne in 1930's England, and as the King's speech therapist, Lionel (Rush) has the kind of screen presence that can take over a movie.
The plot/ending is no secret, as the movie chronicles King George VI's continual stammering problem, and his repeated attempts to break the habit and become the 'voice of a nation' that he's expected to be. Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel Logue, a speech therapist hired secretly by the King's wife (Helena Bohnam Carter), who becomes not only the King's speech therapist, but also a close friend.
The training is a success, and through Lionel's help, King George VI is able to deliver a wartime speech to the nation at the beginning of WWII, and become the King everyone hoped he would be, and the public speaker he never thought possible. It's a story of triumph, trust, and overcoming obstacles to reach full potential.
As a 'period' piece, and an English 'period' piece at that, the movie may not appeal to everyone. It would be hard to overlook Firth and Rush's performances though, as both are certainly worthy of their Oscar nominations. From what I've heard and read, the film is a front runner for the Best Picture Oscar. While I don't necessarily agree with that (in fact, I'd put it 3rd on my list right now), I did enjoy the movie, and believe that it will certainly stand the test of time as one of the all time greats. 4 out of 5 stars, very well done.
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