What was there to be patriotic about?

Rating: 6/10 (26 January 2011)

Having dabbled in public speaking, I have come to the view that there are three kinds of people who practise it: the brave, the egotistical and the downright foolish. For King George VI, it was a duty.
When King George V dies, the crown is passed to his eldest son, Edward VIII. Desperate to marry a divorcée he abdicates the throne, allowing his stammering brother Prince Albert, later George VI, to take over. At her wits end about how to cure her husband's unallowable defect, Queen Elizabeth enlists the help of maverick speech therapist, Lionel Logue.
I've got used to the fact that many – or is it all? – ladies (and no doubt some men too) regard Colin Firth as their sunlit dream, and frankly I don't care anymore. It is my duty to point out, however, knowing it is akin to treason, that he does not deserve the Oscar. Geoffrey Rush as Logue not only dominates, but shines (pun intended) as the riposting Aussie. It's telling that the camera ends on his face.
The other players should be congratulated. Michael Gambon's George V is authoritative; Guy Pierce, who has a face like a greyhound's, embodies the sybaritic Edward VIII with gusto; and Helena Bonham Carter is her usual jaunty self as Queen Elizabeth. Only Timothy Spall's hackneyed turn as Winston Churchill blemishes the ensemble.
The appearance and zeitgeist of the age is ably captured – surely this is getting harder as we move further away from the period. Filming is bravura at times, notably scenes exemplifying the fear of speaking publicly, though at other moments I thought I was watching a BBC drama. Some superfluous dialogue made me cringe. It moves along at a gentle pace and is unpretentious.
The general rule seems to be: The more afflicted the character, the deeper our sympathy. This was true of 'The Elephant Man', 'My Left Foot' and 'I Am Sam'. Here, the affliction is minor, and so is our sympathy. Firth's portrayal of George VI is flagrantly mediocre. What does he do? Stammers inconsistently, swears when Rush's mad methods are too much, and delivers a few speeches, showing only nascent progress. What was there to be patriotic about when this guy was at the helm?
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