Movie: The King’s Speech
Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush work brilliantly together on the screen in this period piece set in 1930s England. The advent of a new technology – wireless broadcasting – means that the role of a monarch is changing.
King George V (Michael Gambon) explains that with radio, subjects are looking for the monarch to speak to them in their homes. This poses a problem for his son Albert (Colin Firth), who has a terrible stammer. After much searching, and trying ineffective methods, his ever-supportive wife (Helena Bonham-Carter) finds Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) – an unorthodox speech therapist.
The story is the development of the relationship between Firth and Rush, and it’s really well told. The visuals are great, and the writing is similarly great. See it while you can.
(Note that there’s some fairly spectacular swearing in a couple of scenes, but it’s all part of the speech therapy).