Great Storytelling, Entertaining Characters

Rating: 9/10 (24 September 2016)

The King's Speech is about a man named Prince Albert (Colin Firth) who must take the throne at King George VI after his father's (Michael Gambon) death, however, he is held back by his fear--that he stammers when speaking to others. He fears he cannot be the voice of his people if he cannot speak clearly and confidently for them; especially since the second World War is approaching. After speech therapist after speech therapist, he finally finds Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), who, through some ups and downs, attempts to help him work past his stammering and speak confidently.
The story of The King's Speech is mostly based on a true story, although the relationships between Albert and Lionel is slightly exaggerated to allow watchers to relate to the characters on a deeper level. The characters are acted out wonderfully and are realistic despite the slight exaggeration in interpretation. The cinematography (directed by Tom Hooper) is very well done; the camera and lighting techniques help capture the tension in Albert's public speaking and difficulties he experiences along the way. The music used is classical, and helps encapsulate the "royal" setting perfectly.
A similar movie would be Up in the Air. While the two movies may not seem alike, the similar cinematographic effects such as camera and lighting helps give off a similar atmosphere. Both movies also have similar main characters, despite Up in the Air not being about a speech impediment, both characters are somewhat reserved, stubborn, and independent. Both films are considered dramas, rightfully.
Personally, I enjoyed The King's Speech. It was entertaining, and I barely was able to guess what would happen next (which I find as a fault in dramatic films storytelling). I love historical films, so my expectations were already well, and The King's Speech was able to surpass them within the first thirty minutes of viewing.