The King's Speech - Movie of the Year?

There is no doubt in mind that the King's speech is the best film of the year, but then, on the 15th of January, that would not be a particularly hard achievement, However there really would need to be a good a film to take this accolade later on.

The film is based on the true story (It has a surprising amount of historical accuracy for a movie) of Price Albert, The Duke of York (Later King George VI) and his relationship with an irreverent Australian Speech therapist Lionel Logue. The story displays perfectly the internal struggle that The Duke of York goes through as he juxtapositions his annoyance at the perceived lack of respect with his desperation to solve his long term speech impediment.

The film stars Colin Firth as Prince Albert/King George in a performance that has been tipped to receive an Oscar nomination and I think there would be something wrong with the academy members if he doesn't. He successfully manages to fill a stammer with as much edge of your seat nervousness as the best psychological thriller as you are literally pleading with him to get the words out. Firth shows a great deal of different parts of the Kings personality as he is often flits from Anger to melancholy to vulnerable but makes him inherently likable. Whilst Geoffry Rush is wonderfully cast as the failed actor turned speech therapist, he sits passively as the King rants at him and has many calming mannerisms that sit well against the uptight royal, this film is at it's heart a film about overcoming adversity, but it would be a very boring watch without the great buddy chemistry produced by the main two characters.

The supporting cast do not let this film down either with Helena Bonham Carter in great form as Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) sitting helplessly by as her husband struggles with his duties. Mike from Neighbours (Guy Pearce) plays the fun loving Edward VIII whose Abdication caused George the VI to take the throne, he plays a much more sympathetic figure than a lot of portrayals, and his Nazi sympathies are played down, but he manages to portray the King's struggle.

The only inaccuracy that bugged me was that it was suggested that Prince Albert chose the name George as Albert seemed too German where as in fact it was King Edward VII (Also called Albert) who decided that no other monarch should ever be called King Albert in reverence to his father Prince Albert.