Why you should and shouldn't see The King's Speech

Rating: Null/10 (3 October 2011)

The Story Once upon a time a boy was found in the womb of Queen Victoria earlier than any other babies possessing male genitalia, giving him the authority to rule Great Britain as Edward VII. The son of Edward VII who was born first reigned as George V, although by this time the King wasn't really expected to rule anything, just to hold still for a little bit so someone could draw a portrait to be printed on the money; surround himself with precious objects and loyal subjects; and make speeches. (If this puzzles you, here is a clear discussion of the Divine Right that serves as foundation to any monarchy.)
This brings us to the beginning of the film, where I switch to the present tense. George V's son Prince Albert (Firth) hasn't been George V's son quite as long as his brother David, but David is a playboy and considered something of a flake, and at any rate, being even the second son of a king makes one very important, requiring public appearances. Surprisingly Prince Albert doesn't need to know about things and write speeches about the things he knows--they have people for that--but the Empire depends on him, as it depends on his dad (and as the United States depends on its Presidents), to recite profound words and pretend that they are his. Big problem: the Prince stammers terribly. He's seen several experts about it and has given up, but his wife Elizabeth (Bonham Carter) wants him to try a London speech therapist whose last name is actually a suffix meaning "speech." He reluctantly goes to see Lionel Logue (Rush), who insists on being in charge within the confines of their professional relationship, even going so far as to call the Prince "Bertie."
What I think Colin Firth stammers wonderfully, and the Albert/King George VI on screen is a buckling vessel pumped so close to the point of rupture with frustration and fear, poetically revealed by David Seidler's script, that we feel deeply for him. Geoffrey Rush is believable and entertaining as a man who respects royalty and yet stands up to it for the sake of his royal client, and who cares not at all if his methods appear silly, because he knows they work. His main task, though, is to convince Bertie to forgive his own vulnerability, allowing him to embrace his own strength.
Why you should see it: You like things that are good. You'll feel all cultured and whatnot if you see an Oscar© winner in which everyone has an English accent. You want to justify your purchase of three dozen "Wormtail for Prime Minister" bumper stickers.
Why you shouldn't see it: You despise things that are good, because they encourage the sin of Pride and inspire admiration, which leads to more pride, leading to more achievement, making for a never-ending cycle of "la dee da, look at me and the various and sundry good things I bring to the world because I'm such a big fricking deal." You speak only the Twi dialect of Akan, you don't like subtitles and you're fairly certain The King's Speech is not yet dubbed in Twi. (Someone must be translating this for you.)
--from my review at www.1man365movies.com