Film Review: In ‘The King’s Speech,’ Colin Firth plays a piercing Prince Albert

Jordan Wilson

Contributing Writer

While Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” is unfortunately rated R for the use of one or two choice terms, it is in truth more than suitable for a wider age group than its rating permits – and certainly one of the best films of 2010.

The film opens in 1925 as Prince Albert (Colin Firth), son of King George V, is preparing to give a speech to thousands at Wembley Stadium, with his dearly supportive wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) standing by.

Albert’s voice quickly refuses to cooperate, as his stammering gets the best of him.

Albert hires many different speech therapists, all knighted and credentialed, but no techniques they offer can cure his stammer – until we finally meet Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), known far and wide for his unorthodox methods.

So begins Albert’s struggle to conquer his stammer with Logue’s help. These are some of the most wonderfully written scenes I have seen in film, as Logue manages to peel away the layers and reveal the roots of Albert’s stammer. Through these scenes, we actually get to witness the birth and growth of a relationship built on trust and courage, as well as on an inability to speak publicly in a job about public speaking.

Firth has already won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for this performance, and he will no doubt win again at the Oscars. It is a tremendous performance that certainly resonates with anyone who’s familiar with stage fright – perhaps not of the kind involving addressing a nation relying on you for guidance at the onset of WWII – but still.

Rush is equally brilliant in this film, an actor who can blend seamlessly into any role from the Marquise de Sade to Peter Sellers, and Lionel Logue is a perfect fit. Rush’s tone and delivery in every scene are marvelous. As Logue’s confidence in his work and in Albert remains intact throughout the toughest of times, we see their relationship become deeper and more genuine each time they meet.

With some terrific performances and superb work by director Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech” is a beautifully universal film about the expectations and obstacles that are passed down to us, and the means by which we manage to overcome them. GRADE: A-