Imagine you are standing in front of a crowd for speech. Everyone is eager to listen to you. You are well prepared for speech still you started stammering. Quite embarrassing, right? So how embarrassing this situation could be for a person who is Duke of York? This is what this film is about.
The King's Speech (2010) is a British film directed by Tim Hopper narrates unknown story of The King George VI and his lifelong struggle of speech. The film begins with the incident of official closing ceremony of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium and Prince Albert, Duke of York, second son of King George V, addresses the crowd with strong stammer.He is frustrated due to continues failure of treatments but his wife, Elizabeth is still hopeful. One day Elizabeth persuades him to see the Australian born, Lionel Logue, a non-medically trained Harley Street speech defect therapist. Lionel ask for transparency and equality during treatment and starts calling the prince Bertie, a name used to call only by his royal family.At first instance prince gets furious but later on he starts taking speech therapy from Lionel and film proceeds.
It is story of friendship developed during therapy between Lionel and the prince.The plot of the film was developed many years before actual shooting. Elizabeth, the Queen's mother and widow of King George VI requested the director to postpone the work until her death in 2002.This film is on the shoulders of Colin Firth who played Prince Albert/King George VI and he totally nailed it. We get always fascinated by stories of Royal Family but sometimes we forget that they are humans only. We are able to see human side of Prince Albert in this film. A son who is trying to obey his father, a younger brother who is supporting his elder brother,a husband who is listening to his wife's advice and loving father to his two daughters.
We come across some known incidences during this film like death of King George V, Prince David taking in-charge of King's place, renouncement of throne by prince David as protocols does not allow him to marry American divorcee woman, coronation of King George VI and announcement of world war II by England. We can see different shades of acting by Colin Firth. Restlessness due to brother's stubbornness, getting furious on Lionel before coronation ceremony, being emotional because his daughters are calling him Your Majesty now and not father makes us connected to King George VI we never meet.
Initially I didn't get Academy's awards decision for selecting this film as best film. But after watching this movie, I started thinking that Colin Firth as best actor and this film as best film was totally worth decision by Academy.
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