The King's Speech

A cultured speech therapy drama about the power of the voice and the imaginary status of a king. A wonderfully blissful play of static semi-details, mannerist textures and refined interiors, against which the chaotic wallpaper of Dr. Logue proudly stands out, who understands that the king is king above all when his subjects believe him. And in the 1930s, they can trust his voice above all. It's all a typical Rocky template about an outsider who climbed to the top, even though no one believed in him. Even with its sensitively stylizing representation of history, it is the equivalent of the excellent drama Frost/Nixon. An acting concert, from Colin Firth's stressed-out creation to Helen Bonham Carter's light-legged ballet. Maybe over-modified, but I like it... more than a handsome, gelled Fincher mop of hair. (20/01/2011)

It can start subtly and escalate very gradually, but King's Speech deeply touched me and when it comes to admiration for acting performances, it literally surpassed them. And just like 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)

A film for which I didn't mind the expected plot development, the touching ending, and the overall almost violent "you're watching an Oscar movie, so a bit of respect bloody hell" vibe. Firth is divine, Carter is divine, Rush is divine, the cinematography is divine (pleasing even for a conversational film, imaginative use of steadycam), the script is divine, the ending is exactly as it should be, and the heaps of euphemisms that make up the English upper class vocabulary are hilarious without even needing to be pointed out. I'd still be more in favor of Oscars for Black Swan, though, because my sensibilities have always been closer to films that aren't afraid to experiment. (09/03/2011)

Very pleasant period piece. A series of speech therapy sessions is not an ideal premise for the silver screen, but they managed to turn it into a remarkable result. Colin Firth excels in the role of an uncertain stuttering king and his performance is undoubtedly Oscar-worthy, he feels very sincere and uncynical, unlike the rest of the film. The titular “king’s speech” at the end really got me. 9/10 (23/01/2011)

When this film is summarized, it's actually about how one person learns to speak, so he tries not to stutter. It's almost tempting to say that it's banal, but when it's filmed well, when the right actors are chosen, then it becomes something very unique. In this case, it succeeded and Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush deliver incredible performances. I think Geoffrey is actually the star of this film, but the Academy once again didn't appreciate him. It doesn't matter, it doesn't change the fact that the film is great. (06/03/2014)