Bertie and Lional make a great team

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2011)

This movie deals humorously and honestly with the personal struggle of a man who takes over as King at a critical time in British history and goes on to rule the country during the second great war of the twentieth century. The King is George VI and his struggle is against his own inadequacy which results in a serious speech impediment, a stutter - a rather awkward defect in a member of the Royal Family, even more so as it becomes apparent that he will become the new monarch. It is hard to imagine anyone performing the role of monarch under such a condition; however, with the help of a dedicated and tough speech therapist, Lional Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush, George VI, played by Colin Firth, is able to carry out his role and in fact, perform it superbly. The interaction between the two main characters is what gives this movie its dramatic impact. These two unlikely human beings are brought together by a challenge that will test them and summon up their utmost strength of purpose in pursuit of their goal, which is to give the King his voice and to lead his subjects at a time of a great national crisis. The dialogue is funny, witty, and often confrontational but through it all, a great friendship is created. The King is ably supported by his wife, the Duchess of York and later the Queen, performed by Helena Bonham Carter. She conveys the combination of regal bearing and common touch that made her character so popular with the British people. Michael Gambon is excellent as George V. Claire Bloom's talent is generally wasted in the role of Queen Mary. Her role gave her character no scope, unusual for the woman who was at the heart of the family. She is made up in way that she neither looks like herself or Queen Mary. Both David (Guy Pearce), who becomes Edward VIII, and the object of his devotion, Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), are portrayed as the fun-loving but irresponsible couple that history has come to view them. Derek Jacobi excels as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang. Anthony Andrews has a small but effective role as Stanley Baldwin, the prime minister. All in all, a fine movie with a great story of how the second son stepped up and became a great national symbol when history commanded him.