The King's Speech (2010)

Director: Tom Hooper

Writer: David Seidler

Composer: Alexandre Desplat

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi, Claire Bloom, Guy Pearce

More info: IMDb

Tagline: It takes leadership to confront a nation's fear. It takes friendship to conquer your own.

Plot: Biopic about Britain's King George VI and his lifelong struggle to overcome his speech impediment. Suffering from a stammer from the age of 4 or 5, the young Prince Albert dreaded any public speaking engagement and history records that his speech at the closing of the 1925 Commonwealth exhibition in London was difficult for both him and everyone listening that day. He tried many different therapies over many years but it was only when he met Lionel Logue, a speech therapist, that he truly began to make progress. Logue did not have a medical degree but had worked as an elocution coach in the theater and had worked with shell-shocked soldiers after World War I. Through a variety of techniques - and much hard work - he learns to speak in such a way so as to make his impediment a minor problem and delivers a faultless speech heard around the world by radio when the UK declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

See that poster above?  That's class.  Look at the utter shit they also came up with at the bottom of this.  What the hell?  This isn't a romantic comedy for cryin' out loud.  Just an observation.  Movie poster art has been nearly lost for years.   I really dig the top one.  The flick is great.  Wonderful performances all around.  Good story although it's a foregone conclusion that he's going to deliver the big speech without incident.  That kills any suspense but it's not needed.  The speech is moving and delivered with heart and that's what's important.  Desplat's soft score fits well.  His use of piano reminded me of John Williams' beautiful score for STANLEY & IRIS (1990).  Lovely.  It's a warm, comfortable picture.  The cinematography is soothing and inviting. Lionel's (Rush) apartment is just gorgeous.  I used to have a bad stutter when I was a kid but I can't remember for the life of me how it dissipated.  It tapered off in my mid-teens.  I could have used a cool cat like Lionel.  Hell, I'd've hired him just to hang out at that sweet pad of his.  Now I dare you to look at these inappropriate posters below and not laugh.  What's with Rush's look?  I hate that shit.  Jeez!!!