Some Good Bits, Overall Stutters Poorly

Rating: 6/10 (20 September 2013)

Well, i've mentioned this movie very unflatteringly in my reviews for "Inception" and "The Social Network," so it's high time I weigh in on why I have done so. "The King's Speech" tries to tell a noble story in a surprisingly good CONTEXT, but the EXECUTION is stiff, bland, and almost forgettable.
This biopic is about King George VI, but starts out as Prince Albert, Duke of York. As a man of his royal and public stature, he has a very unique problem, he stutters very badly. After, OF COURSE, consulting the most qualified diction teachers in England, his wife (played by Helena Bonham Carter) finds, OF COURSE, a quirky little man, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) who takes the job to help Bertie cure his problem in, YOU GUESSED IT, the most unconventional and "entertaining" of ways. Unexpectedly, Bertie's father dies and his brother takes the throne. But true to history his brother (who OF COURSE makes fun of Bertie's situation) falls in love with an American and abdicates, meaning Bertie is now the new king. With war beginning against Germany, Bertie questions himself and his abilities based on the fact that he can't talk properly. He makes the rousing speech to his people, and its a happy ending. YAWN.
The writer of this movie, David Seidler, stutters himself, so I can understand why he would write this movie, and it has very noble intentions. He even makes some surprisingly good story choices. When Bertie learns Logue isn't a qualified teacher (which OBVIOUSLY is the "liar revealed" clichés that bugs so many movies) he immediately shrugs it off because Logue is his friend and stands by him. Kudos. But my overuse of the words "OF COURSE" is for the rest of the story (except the final speech scene which I mention below) It offers us practically nothing new, and this kind of story has been done so many times that it feels so much like a retread instead of Best Original Screenplay. I'm still miffed by that selection over Christopher Nolan's brilliantly fresh screenplay for "Inception." Tom Hooper, who did very well for the mini-series "John Adams," makes the story even feel more like retread by using unusual angles and lighting and sound (The sound is so poor in this movie your speakers have to be up at full volume to even hear the basic dialog and music. I HATE THAT) Danny Cohen, the cinematographer, uses obnoxious close-ups, dutch-angles, and some shaky cam to poor effect(AAAAAAHHHHHHHH) He even repeats it to a worse degree in "Les Miserables" (which i will review very soon) But the strength of Hooper as a director is his command of the actors, for the most part.
One of the beacons of light for me in this movie is Colin Firth as Bertie. He is brilliant, given the material he has to work with. He does show that he is insecure after the emotional hell he has gone through in his life because of his stammer. It is at lest interesting to watch him blossom from the laughed at Prince to a newly respected King.
The other actors I refuse to talk about because I found them that brand of British acting that I call "Blandly British" meaning not much to offer and looking bored, especially from Helena Bonham Carter and even Geoffrey Rush, who I like as an actor.
Then there is the speech to the nation. HOLY GOD IS THIS SCENE INCREDIBLE!!!!!! It's a rousing speech! It starts slowly and builds beautifully in terms of pacing, Firth delivers it ungodly well, an the music chosen (the allegretto of Beethoven's 7th Symphony) compliments the scene in the best way possible. If the rest of the movie was on the same level as this beautiful scene was, I would have liked it a whole lot more.
When this movie took home 4 Oscars, I was happy for only one, Colin Firth for Best Actor. he deserved it. The others, I was stunned, and couldn't speak at all. I felt that "The Social Network" should have taken the Picture and Director prize, and "Inception" for original Screenplay. But I can moan all I want, I can't change anything.
I totally get the movie's noble intentions, and it succeeds in some areas. But as a whole, its is boring, stiff, flat, slow, hard to hear (literally) and mostly forgettable. But it a least has a good performance in there and a speech that will rouse anyone who listens to it.