The King's Speech (2011)

Tom Hooper, the director of the HBO miniseries John Adams, has directed a wonderful behind-the-scenes drama in The King's Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI, Geoffrey Rush as his speech therapist Lionel Logue, and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife. It's a very intimate and personal story, as George VI is probably one of the least known English monarchs, despite being the father of the still reigning Elizabeth. The WWII era in England was dominated by the great PM Winston Churchill as far as history remembers, but George VI was the official head of state at the time. He assumed the throne in 1936 when his brother Albert (Guy Pearce) abdicated in order to marry his American mistress, who was divorced and therefore banned from becoming royalty. Known as Bertie, he was shy, abused as a child, and afflicted with a terrible stutter. The film tells the story of how he worked with Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist, who brought him out of his shadow and eventually gave him the courage to assume his duties and triumph in a way his irresponsible brother never could.

Every role is wonderfully acted, and Colin Firth is well-deserving of his likely Best Actor win next month. Hooper directs the witty and literate screenplay in much the same way he did John Adams, with mostly close-ups and set almost entirely indoors, in small rooms, to enhance the realism and intimacy of the characters. It has the effect of making them feel more like real people and not just historical figures (the one exception being Timothy Spall in a bit part as Winston Churchill, who's a bit campy and caricatured when he shows up, somewhat reminding the audience of the more known but also more important stories still to be told of this era). The ultimate triumph of Bertie over his speech impediment, to rally his nation to the cause at the dawn of the war, is an emotionally uplifting and hugely satisfying moment. The King's Speech is a lovely film, and one of the best of the year.