Label a movie “feel-good” and “triumphant,” and you’re liable to conjure visions of a hard-luck sports team elevated by tough-love ministrations or cute animals in danger who win the day through sheer pluck. Fortunately, for those of us who don’t make a habit of carrying handkerchiefs to cry into at the slightest drop of a sappy scene, we have The King’s Speech. Here is an absolute treasure of a “feel-good” movie that earns its credentials not through trite premises or sentimental maneuvers but by rolling up its sleeves and working at it. That, and an astonishingly well-chosen cast of actors we already know to have the chops but are given an opportunity to soar in a film defined by literate writing and direction.
The scenario could not be any less cloying or unlikely a subject; it’s 1936, Nazi Germany is on the rise, and a wary Britain frets over the ailing King George V, whom we only glimpse on occasion but easily remember on account of Michael Gambon’s commanding presence. Intended for the throne is Edward, the John F. Kennedy of the family, played by Guy Pearce in a performance that is as good as it is unexpected; is that really Pearce affecting a British accent and another man’s voice? (It is, and it is solid.) On the sidelines is Albert, affectionately called Bertie, whose stammering makes the execution of his public speaking duties feel like exactly that: an execution, the dread of which is compounded when circumstances conspire to assign Bertie a greater role in life than he ever wanted or expected.
Colin Firth’s performance offers such nuance and humanity that Bertie’s deeply personal struggle, enmeshed as it is in the context of royal protocol and obligations, has to appeal even to a staunch anti-monarchist from revolutionary France. If we care at all about the struggles of a member of the royal household, it’s because Colin Firth leaves us no choice but to care. In this effort, however, credit must also go to Helena Bonham Carter in the part of Albert’s wife, Elizabeth, who could not be any more different than her Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films. Like Timothy Spall, who charms in his role as Winston Churchill, she demonstrates versatility and range in her ability to move from the demands of the fantastic to more earthly requirements. Supporting cast members are often the unsung heroes of a film dominated by leading performances, but here they shine as the necessary foundation of a uniformly excellent production.
With the weight of history already pressing down on the plot and the substance of family dynamics, it’s a demonstration of screenwriter David Seidler’s sense of balance and director Tom Hooper’s confident hand that the film manages to create such a rich context for what proves to be, at heart, a film about an unlikely friendship. As speech therapist Lionel Logue, discovered by Bertie’s wife cum Rock of Gibraltar, Geoffrey Rush shows obvious relish at the role of a quirky man with unconventional treatment methods whose relationship with Bertie transcends the divide between commoner and royalty. Rush’s portrayal of Logue effortlessly keeps up and complements Firth’s with equal heft, and we end up with a portrayal of male friendship that feels genuine, humane, and not-at-all subject to the fashionable yet demeaning classification of a “bromance.” The King’s Speech pays witness to a man’s struggle to overcome his weaknesses and rise up to the occasion, but it also pays witness to the enduring qualities of friendship. That’s something worth feeling good about, especially when it comes from smashingly good filmmaking.
Entertainment: ** (out of two)
Craft: ** (out of two)
Gold star recommendation!
The King’s Speech. Written by David Seidler. Directed by Tom Hooper. Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce and Timothy Spall.
Mr. Sisa, Assistant Editor of the newspaper, may be contacted at fsisa@thefrontpageonline.com
