Colin Firth as the King, Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen Mother, oodles of history and drama at its heart – what more could you ask for from a movie?
Academy Award-winning film The King’s Speech is all set to be broadcast on television this Good Friday (April 18). Helmed by Tom Hooper, the historical drama has been lauded for its screenplay, performances, and direction.
Written by David Seidler, The King’s Speech is the largely biographical story of King George VI – portrayed to Oscar-winning perfection by Firth – and his struggle to overcome his stammer with the help of Australian speech and language therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).
As the two work together, an extraordinary friendship develops between the two, leading to a deep and meaningful bond. After his brother abdicates the throne, the new king is compelled to make his first wartime radio broadcast in 1939 when Britain declared war on Germany.
With a mighty 94 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, The King’s Speech makes for an impassioned watch. In June 2009, the UK Film Council granted the film’s production £1 million. The movie was later showcased at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival on Colin Firth’s 50th birthday, where it garnered a standing ovation and went on to win the prestigious People’s Choice Award.
Proving to be a mammoth box-office success, the movie earned over a whopping £250million worldwide against a humble budget of less than £10 million.
Also starring Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi, Freya Wilson, and Jennifer Ehle, The King’s Speech was highly praised by film critics for its art direction, screenplay, visual style, acting, and soundtrack, with one critic remarking: “The King’s Speech is the rare work of art that’s also an immense crowdpleaser.”
Bagging four Oscars at the 83rd Academy Awards — Best Actor (Firth), Best Director (Hooper), Best Original Screenplay (Seidler), and Best Picture — and being nominated for a total of 12 (the highest of any other film that year), The King’s Speech had a dream run during awards season.
Praise for Colin Firth’s Oscar-winning performance ran abound, with one review saying: “Firth strikes a perfect balance between his abrasive traits and the vulnerability that coaxes our empathy,” while another declared: “It is no wonder that Colin Firth was awarded with the highest prizes with this role. Such great acting.”
One critic added: “The King’s Speech is a joy, and I adore it,” while another wrote: “By the film’s end I was in tears: a pathetic critic-thing whimpering in the half-dark, knocked into resistlessness by the power of storytelling.”
Audience reviews for the movie are also glowing, with one that reads: “A very moving film with amazing performances. It beautifully tells the story about King George VI, his family, and his only friend,” while another states: “A regal masterpiece stuffed with great performances, great sets and great cinematography.”
Another viewer felt the power of the film and its performances as they said: “The King’s Speech is an amazing film with great directing, editing, visuals, and performances. If you are someone who is interested in King George VI and the Royal Family, you would without a doubt like this film, even if you aren’t interested in them I think you would still enjoy it because it is just a great film. The film manages to make a story of a King struggling to say words into something quite powerful and moving.”
The King’s Speech will be broadcast on BBC Two (except Scotland) on April 18 (Good Friday) at 10pm.
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