Worthy and entertaining

Rating: 9/10 (14 January 2011)

King George VI suffered from a stammer. Upsetting as it was to him, this didn't matter in the wider scheme of things until his older brother King Edward VIII abdicated, unexpectedly advancing George (aka "Bertie") to the throne. Given that a war was approaching, it was important that the King's radio pronouncements not be tainted by the dreaded stammer. And so, having exhausted any number of potential "cures", Bertie's wife Queen Elizabeth approached an Australian speech therapist called Lionel Logue.
I have experienced my fair share of what I call "worthy" films, and they tend to produce the same reaction in me as the end credits roll - "Well, that was very worthy, but I didn't enjoy it very much." The very worthiness tends to suck the drama and humour out of a project.
This is not so with The King's Speech. This true story is interesting, gripping, inspiring, funny, and very moving. You are never in any doubt that this stammer forms a dreadful foundation which underlies the entirety of Bertie's life, and Colin Firth's performance is deservedly receiving high praise (it is early in the awards season, but it must be a serious contender for the highest awards).
Having said that, Geoffrey Rush's genial but unconventional Lionel Logue is also brimful of humanity, with a compassion and humour which are understated, and all the more effective for that.
Which is not to underestimate the rest of the cast. Helena Bonham-Carter is not my favourite actress, but she is excellent here, and I also liked Guy Pearce as the flawed Edward VIII - full of angst at his own position, but insensitive to his brother.
There is an excellent sense of time and place.
This is a very good film, and I recommend it highly.