The King’s Speech (2010)

By Him & Her · In Drama, Our Picks

The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it. {official site}

HIS review
I was expecting a lot going into this movie, especially having seen it after Colin Firth‘s Golden Globe win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Boy did this movie deliver! Superb acting and great story telling combine to give you one of the greatest movies of the year. Colin Firth’s portrayal of King George VI is very impressive, but it isn’t until after seeing the film and listening to the actual speech given by the King that you realise how accurate his performance really was. The supporting cast virtually flawless. Helena Bonham Carter proved to be a strong Queen, supporting her husband throughout, though it is with Geoffrey Rush that the true honours lie. His performance brought something special to the screen as we were swept through moments of laughter and tears. It’s the character of Lionel Logue that brings out the laughter in moments of despair. I cannot recall another movie that was able to create as much suspense from one man speaking, but you will inevitably hang on every word as the King makes his most important speech.

HER review
I was excited to see this film and it didn’t disappoint! Colin Firth just gets better and better doesn’t he… he manages to pull off the character of Bertie to a tee. I felt as though we were all part of his entourage, willing him to succeed and were part of the journey to his destiny. Helena Bonham Carter did a good job at playing the strong supportive wife, she was convincingly understated. Being from the UK myself, I was brought up with stories of Kings & Queens and I knew a little about King Edward’s abdication, but I was not aware of King George’s afflictions – maybe it wasn’t something that they wanted to make a big deal out of, that it wasn’t really part of history – so it was really interesting to me to hear this story. I’m curious to know how much of it was fact and how much was fiction, nevertheless it was captivating and that’s what a good film is all about! I had heard stories from my mum, being a WWII baby, about how involved the royal family had been during that time and what great role models they were to society. It made me proud and brought a joyful tear to my eye. What an awesome film!

5 Popcorns!