A joy.

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2011)

The King's Speech is the first film I have seen in 2011 and it will almost certainly be the film I enjoy most this year.
The film tells the story of the Duke of York (Colin Firth) who is second in line to the throne and suffering from a terrible stutter. The family name for the Duke is Bertie. He has tried many different Doctors in an effort to cure the stutter, but none have been able to help. Ultimately the Duke of York becomes King George VI after the abdication of Edward VIII. In the new era of Radio it is vital that the King can communicate with the people so the stutter is like torture to the King whenever he is required to speak publicly. His wife Elizabeth (Helen Bonham Carter) introduces Bertie to a failed Australian actor Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) who has turned to speech therapy.
Logue has an unusual approach to speech therapy and it seems the relationship is doomed to failure. Bertie gives up on a number of occasions, but seems convinced that Logue may actually be helping him.
The film is delightful throughout although there is quite a lot of swearing which may rankle for those people who do not like bad language. It is always very lighthearted and you completely warm to all the main characters. The scenes between Firth and Rush are mesmerising and it seems very likely that they may be in line for Oscar recognition. The film is beautifully filmed and excellently directed by Tom Hooper who also directed The Damned United which was also excellent.
Not one for the adrenalin junkies, but a joy for everyone else!