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The King's Speech

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  • The King's Speech

    Plan on watching The King's Speech on Christmas Day with some friends.

  • #2
    Re: The King's Speech

    I can't WAIT to see this one.
    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
    GrouchyTeacher.com

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    • #3
      Re: The King's Speech

      A superb film, one of the best I've seen in years. Beautiful writing. directing and acting. Flawless.

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      • #4
        Re: The King's Speech

        Saw this movie at the Ward theatre this morning with Albert, a friend and myself. To be honest the reason why I went to this movie is because I went with someone else since biography as a movie genre is something I am kind of neutral about. I don't have much knowledge on the subject matter to say if the events presented in this movie is accurate or not.

        While it is not a comedy there were some humorous parts to this movie that made it enjoyable to watch. Also like the character played by Geoffrey Rush.

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        • #5
          Re: The King's Speech

          i havent seen it but many of the reviews i have read gave it credit for extreme accuracy and not a hollywood version.
          the bigger the government the smaller the citizen.

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          • #6
            Re: The King's Speech

            The King’s Speech
            Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter

            A quote from Wikipedia’s article on Merchant Ivory Productions:

            The expression “Merchant-Ivory film” has made its way into common parlance, to denote a particular genre of film rather than the actual production company. The heyday of this genre was the 1980s and 1990s with such films as A Room with a View and Howards End. A typical “Merchant-Ivory film” would be a period piece set in the early 20th century, usually in Edwardian England, featuring lavish sets and top British actors portraying genteel characters who suffer from disillusionment and tragic entanglements.
            I believe that except for the Edwardian part, The King’s Speech fits this description rather well, and that’s one reason I would be predisposed to liking it. I love a good period piece, especially when it’s got Helena Bonham Carter or Emma Thompson in it. Since Ismail Merchant’s death five years ago, there haven’t been enough of these in theaters, much to my lament.

            Colin Firth plays Albert, Duke of York, who later becomes King George VI, a man with a stutter in an age where radio is becoming an essential tool for communication with the people. His brother, the crown prince David (later King Edward VIII), doesn’t seem especially interested in being king. He is romantically involved with a woman who has been twice divorced, a situation considered unacceptable for the man who will sit upon the throne.

            Albert’s wife is Elizabeth, Duchess of York, who supports her husband and encourages him to seek treatment for his speech impediment. Multiple failures lead to Albert’s despondence and then to a new teacher, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), who insists on treating Albert under Logue’s own terms, meaning without the pretense of royalty and in Logue’s office.

            The film deals slightly with the political tumult caused by George V’s failing health and David’s insistence on dating the woman he loves. Most of it, though, revolves around Albert and Lionel’s sessions, in which the counselor tries to help Albert get to the psychological root of his problem. Albert is resistant: he’s royalty, and it is inappropriate for a commoner to ask him personal questions. However, because of some of Lionel’s early success with the prince, Albert and Elizabeth ask Lionel to help just with the mechanics of speech. If the problem cannot under rules of etiquette be solved, it can perhaps be masked.

            I have expressed my outrage at Helena Bonham Carter’s being completely ignored for supporting-actress Oscars last year and probably this year for her portrayals of Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films. It was a joy to see her bloodthirsty performances in those films; it’s an equal joy to see her back in this more genteel, mannered territory. Colin Firth is excellent as the king who teeters between restraint and fury. I totally loved his outbursts of temper, as does Geoffrey Rush who plays with a kind of underlined sadness throughout. He knows he can help the prince but also knows that the prince won’t totally let him do it. The acting in this film is the best reason to see it. Any shortcomings the story might have (and I’m not sure there are any, really) are made up for by the excellent performances by the three principals.

            One of my favorite football players when I was growing up began his NFL career with a severe stutter. Because of it, many people thought he was dumb, and he tended to keep his mouth shut most of the time. After several years in the pros, he sought treatment and overcame the impediment, and people learned what an articulate, thoughtful man he was (I met him one year during Pro Bowl week and he never stopped chattering!). Albert doesn’t have the advantage of modern treatment that Lester Hayes had, and Lionel admits that he is treading new ground in his approach. How frustrating it must have been for the prince to grow up with this condition, mocked by his siblings even as an adult and feeling like the lesser of the royal princes. And how frustrating it must have been for Logue, a man whose heart for people with this condition is probably his primary asset in treating it, when he is only permitted to care enough about the prince to scratch the surface of his therapy.

            The inability for everyone involved to share what he or she is really thinking is a beautiful handicap. The king might have psychological shackles on his ability to express himself, but the social shackles are even stronger, and although Lionel does his best to break them, he’s dealing with lifetimes (if not centuries) of deliberate non-disclosure. Lionel can’t even talk to his wife about his frustrations, really, because he’s not allowed to tell anyone about his relationship with the prince.

            It is a thoroughly enjoyable film; I thought I must surely have a smile on my face from the opening sequence until the end; I was so happy to be swimming around in this world with these characters played by these great actors.

            A strong 8/10 (IMDb rating) or
            88/100 (Criticker rating).
            Last edited by scrivener; January 2, 2011, 03:26 PM.
            But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
            GrouchyTeacher.com

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            • #7
              Re: The King's Speech

              Much of the film was based around the diaries of the vocal therapist, Logue, as provided by Logue's son to scriptwriter David Seidler. But Elizabeth (Albert's wife, who most of us know as the Queen Mother) long ago requested that he not write the story for film as long as she was alive. He honored that request - for nearly thirty years; she passed away in 2002 at age 101.

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