The King's Speech

A very enjoyable intimate drama about real issues against the backdrop of historical events. The cast is great, of course, but in a way too much so, because each of the main three characters is such a distinct actor that they overshadow their characters. The set design also has no major flaws, which is good, although that’s almost a given nowadays. (06/10/2012)

A typically British, perfectionistic, and old-fashioned film, which, although it has a number of undeniable merits starting with excellent casting, appropriate performances, and conservative but flawless direction, somehow did not enthuse me and captivate me. It deals with aristocratic "better" people bound by strict social rules, etiquette, and responsibility, not for themselves, but for the reputation and status of their family. These people have sympathy for the plebeians down below and feel responsibility for them about as much as a medieval feudal lord felt responsibility for his subjects. By the way, they reduce people to one group and even though they talk a great deal about that group, they are extremely careful not to get themselves dirty with the people below and actually do not even know them. Overall impression: 80%. (18/04/2011)

Behind every great man there is not always only a woman, but in the case of King George VI, a man, and perhaps a voice specialist. The King's Speech is a parade of fine performances from the (until now overlooked) Colin Firth, to the lovely Helena Bonham Carter, to the masterful Geoffrey Rush, who (for me personally) doesn't disappoint. I must also not forget the supporting but still great actors like Timothy Spall and Michael Gambon. Firth really gives a heartfelt performance and I believe his stuttering and swearing to the core. Alexandre Desplat's music also did its job and evoked the atmosphere of Great Britain in the first half of the last century perfectly. The cinematography was charming, as was the script peppered with classic British humour. In short, a film that was my cup of tea despite a few slight bumps, and while it may not be up there for film of the year, I'm still intoxicated. (30/01/2011)

It might start subtly and escalate very gradually, but The King's Speech deeply moved me, and when it comes to admiration for acting performances, it literally surpassed them. And just as the main character is a timid speaker and a future famous ruler, the movie is on one hand a sweet little film and on the other a spectacle that almost everyone can love and celebrate. (06/02/2011)

The Unbearable Lightness of Royal Being, or the first film that allowed me to understand the power and meaning of the monarchy. Tom Hooper may be accused of "academic coldness" by some sensitive folk, but in my opinion, he directs in an economical style that allows the actors' charisma to shine through, placing The King's Speech amongst the ranks of engagingly chatty films like Howard's Frost/Nixon or Fincher's The Social Network. (23/01/2011)