There are times after a film wins an award, especially one so prestigious as the Academy Award for Best Picture, that the viewing of the film takes on a new found weight. The film demands to be liked, as it deemed the best picture of that year. Sometimes, as was the case with 2004’s Crash, I enjoyed the film because of the awards associated with the film. I convinced myself that the feel was more than it really was and because of this mistake, I’ve been very cautious when watching films after winning Best Picture. After finally seeing the 2010 Academy Award winner for Best Actor and Best Picture, The King’s Speech, I can say this film earns everything it receives.
The film follows King George VI, Colin Firth in a Oscar winning role, and his assent to the throne. Beginning with an awkward, failure of a speech, when he was merely the Duke of York, King George, or Bertie to his family, is finally connected with Dr. Lionel Logue expertly played by Geoffrey Rush. Logue insists on focusing on the root behind the stammering that has plague Bertie since his youth. The story follows these men and their relationship, which is strained by the pressure of becoming a new King as well as the impending doom caused by Hitler’s Germany. Once he is declared King of England, Bertie must deliver a speech regarding the state of England and their response to Hitler’s actions in Poland.
What really can be said about this film that hasn’t been said already? Firth is excellent as he delicately balances the line between having a convincing stutter yet not stuttering so much where it might come across as being offensive. Most of that credit belongs to the direction of Tom Hooper, who previously directed the film The Damned United featuring another outstanding performance by the lead actor, Michael Sheen. What I found so interesting about the overall tone of the film was that I was immediately sucked into the story. I forgot about the real world and lived in the world directed by Hooper. I cared for Bertie, and struggled along side him with every stammer. Eventually I wasn’t as swept up as some for the film. I can’t find any fault in the movie, it didn’t strike me as much as others and I blame some of that on my expectations. I feel like if I would have seen this film before the Oscars, I would rate it higher than I am today. That’s no fault of the film, it’s my own problem with not being able to set apart film from award. While not everyone will enjoy this film, it’s expertly done and finely crafted, ultimately it’s something I quite enjoyed but have no real desire to watch again.