Splendid film where everything worked together... and well

Rating: 7/10 (17 February 2011)

Watch out, Oscars: "The Social Network" has found its rival.
"The King's Speech" is an historic drama about King George VI and his attempts to get rid of his stutter, because how can a world leader, let alone one on the brink of war, lead a country without speaking properly? The film focuses on the methods that the King has to go through, set up by speech therapist Lionel Logue, and eventually a strong bond forms between them.
Let me just start out by saying that Colin Firth is magnificent as the King and he is rightfully and thankfully winning all of the Best Actor awards right now because of this performance. Firth has always been an interesting actor who shows a lot of talent but showcases it in full here. His eyes and mannerisms display a variety of emotions from conflict to aggression and solemnity. It is a superb and memorable performance. Geoffrey Rush is also very strong as Logue and he excludes a classy aura around him while also giving a nuanced, witty performance. The chemistry between Firth and Rush is fantastic and the film is theirs with their presence alone. But let's not forget Helena Bonham Carter, who is the emotional core of the King, as she also exudes some care and affection towards the King in his time of need.
The screenplay is masterfully written by David Siedler, full of sly British humor and wit, but not overly done to sacrifice the story and characters. The dialogue is fantastic, made even more great by the brilliant performances and extremely focused direction by Tom Hooper. The production design is beautiful with some nice outdoor locations and interiors of the British monarchy, the cinematography is perfectly framed with the faces of the actors treated like landscapes to get every emotion out of them, and the music by Alexandre Desplat is classy and exudes many emotions from liveliness to solemnity to finally grand.
Two things I would like to add. One, is that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in this movie worked. Because they all help each other out. The acting is made better by the screenplay and direction, which is also helped by the cinematography and music. All of these forces combine to craft one brilliant scene after another, transforming a simple story to a film worth watching many times to learn about friendship and perseverance.
Secondly, the cinematography is quite unique: usually the camera will frame the actor looking to his right, on the right side of the screen; in this movie it is inverted, creating an unusual but effective method of capturing the actors' faces.
Overall, I really can't say enough praise for this film, because it is a simple story that is magnificently and professionally told by a cast and crew that moves like clockwork and performs perfectly like a well-staged play. Kudos to everyone involved, and congratulations at the BAFTAs for hard work that is well-rewarded.
Now come the Oscars to see which is truly the better film, for I am, for the first time, at a loss to see which movie will win, the Facebook movie, or the stuttering King? We shall see.
Overall rating: 94/100