The King`s Speech

There is actually one role for every actor in the course of their career that is considered the "role of a lifetime"and immediately elevates the actor in question to a completely different sphere. For Colin Firth, who has been associated by many with only one particular type of role, despite having proven his versatility on numerous occasions, his portrayal of Britain's King George VI in "The King`s Speech" is that one, all-changing role.

As the son of King George V, Albert (Firth), known only as Bertie to his friends, is always having to make speeches in public. In itself no peculiarity, but Bertie has a problem: he suffers since childhood from a severe stutter and brings especially under pressure hardly a word out. After all previous attempts at therapy have failed, his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) takes matters into her own hands and makes an appointment for her husband with the renowned speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) - incognito, of course. But Bertie finds it difficult to cope with the unconventional methods of the extremely direct Australian and so the treatment seems to be over before it has really begun. It is only later that Albert realizes that Lionel was indeed on the right track and he confides in the therapist again. Slowly, the treatment begins to bear fruit and a friendship develops between the two men that grows out of mutual respect. But when Bertie is appointed England's new king after the death of his father and the unexpected abdication of his brother Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), the men's learning, as well as their friendship, is put to the test.

With "The King`s Speech" director Tom Hooper has succeeded in making a near-perfect film. A wonderful blend of drama and comedy, a moving portrait of a male friendship, a superbly acted piece of cinema that uses great dialogue, an understatedly grand set and wonderful music penned by Alexandre Desplat to provide the viewer with almost two hours of spellbinding entertainment of the highest order. Hooper has managed the feat of telling a story based on historical events in such a way that the numerous historical information, such as the death of George V (wonderfully played by Michael \u), is not lost on the audience. (wonderfully played by Michael "Dumbledore" Gambon), the problems surrounding the succession by Edward VIII. (Guy Pearce) and his abdication that followed shortly thereafter, or the emerging Second World War, are conveyed unobtrusively, almost incidentally. This cleverly prevents the film from coming across as dry or dusty in any way.

More to the point, the fact that an unusual friendship between two inherently disparate men has been brought to the fore here creates a warmth that quickly envelops the viewer and keeps them comfortably enveloped even after the end credits roll. Admittedly, this is not only a credit to the wonderful production with all its different facets, but also to the two great lead actors. Colin Firth is perfectly cast here with his at times almost stoic manner. How he changes in Lionel's presence more and more from a stiff aristocrat to a normal human being with fears, weaknesses, humor and longings, Firth conveys in a very subtle and therefore wonderful way. Geoffrey Rush is the perfect foil, his Lionel Logue a very maladjusted man who is not intimidated by Bernie's social status. A fantastic screen duo that is hard to get enough of.

It would be a shame, however, to leave Helena Bonham Carter unmentioned here. Admittedly, the two male actors are clearly in the foreground. But it is Queen Elizabeth, embodied by Carter, who always steers her husband in the right direction, supporting him without putting herself out there. And that's exactly what Carter does: her performance is particularly supportive of Firth's, yet she always remains discreetly in the background, leaving the playing field to the two men despite her engaging presence.

"The King`s Speech" is a real gem. An entertainment film that can find its audience in arthouse cinemas as well as multiplexes, it is a film that is simply fun, warms the heart and does not offend the mind. After the surprising success in the USA and the less surprising success in England, it is to be hoped that moviegoers in Germany will also realize that a good film does not need special effects, 3D, Til Schweiger or funny animated animals to justify the purchase of a ticket. Absolutely recommended!!!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp