The title of this film, "The King's Speech", refers not only to the wartime speeches of King George VI, but also to his manner of speaking. The king, affectionately called Bertie by his family and one friend, had a crippling stammer, resolved only through his work with an Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue.
"The King's Speech" teeters on the edge of the maudlin, and barely skirts sentimentality, succeeding primarily through the sharp performances of Colin Firth (Bertie) and Geoffrey Rush (Logue). They both skillfully transcend script and description, and are especially fine one on one. Helena Bonham Carter is well cast and wonderful as Queen Elizabeth, later to be known as the dough-girl Queen Mum. Guy Pearce portrays the lily-livered and pointless King Edward with just the right degree of mindless arrogance. Timothy Spall as Churchill is a fun bit of caricature, and Derek Jacobi as the Archbishop of Canterbury seems like Claudius in a bishop's frock.
The screenplay by David Seigler is a balance of poignant moments and humorous relief, although all could have gone far worse in less capable performance hands. Production details are flawless, and the direction by Tom Hooper is sure-handed if not remarkable.
"The King's Speech" frames history from a speech impediment and its resolution. What it poses is that the world's balance in 1939 hung by a thread of not only royal succession but royal expression. The film's balance thrives from the performances that give it life, and the simple but credible notion that even royals need friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment