Good story, fantastically told

Rating: 8/10 (19 January 2011)

Another movie-stealing performance from Geoffrey Rush. And normally that is where I would stop in a review of this film but it deserves more.
The very idea of a period piece about a stammering King finding his voice should bore me to tears. However, the story is told in a sympathetic manner with humour and pathos blended smoothly throughout; the relationships between the major characters feel genuine; and the performances of the three major cast members overshadow any of my doubts about the format.
I am not a fan of Firth or Bonham-Carter but they both fill out their roles in such a strong manner that very early in the movie I had forgotten my general dislike of them and accepted them as the characters rather than the actors.
There are some strange shot choices from Hooper trying to capture stylish shots of the period architecture and decor but they fit well with the tone of the film.
There are some little niggles throughout the movie that distract from the strength of the performances. Guy Pearce is wasted. Michael Gambon's portrayal of a supposedly dying King has far too much strength and life in it. Timothy Spall is no Winston Churchill to the point that it is necessary to shoe-horn in a blatant introduction to the audience rather than trust them to recognise his impression with a more subtle introduction.
But these are all little niggles, enough to keep me from giving it a higher score but not enough to spoil it.