Predictable but moderately satisfying drama

Rating: 7/10 (26 December 2010)

This film is pitched perfectly at the fogey set, who should lap up its ham acting, conservative tone, mild humour and emotional clichés. The dramatic arc of the film is understandably predictable given its historical context, but the characterization and dialogue are often slightly jarring and deter from the film's plausibility. Geoffrey Rush's performance is overplayed, and his emotional signposting annoyingly obvious. The casting of Derek Jacobi, who played one of history's most famous stammerers in I, Claudius, is a knowing in-joke, but only serves to underline Colin Firth's own flabby effort as King George VI. Best get in and see this one before the award season hype becomes unbearable and raises expectations beyond what such a small scale and ultimately forgettable film can deliver.