Colin Firth plays the Duke of York who becomes King George VI. He has a speech problem - he stammers. Nobody can cure him, until his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) finds Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).
I'll be brief on the plot as a number of you are already familiar it with it especially since its numerous nominations this award season. The Duke, or Bertie as Lionel calls him, meets regularly with Lionel who works with him so that he can make speeches on the radio and in public. When his brother abdicates the throne, it is Bertie who must step up. As with a majority of narrative scripts, there are obstacles to overcome and twists and turns. Bertie and Lionel have several falling outs as the film builds to a climax where the King must address his nation in going to war with Hitler.
It's easy to see why Fifth has been nominated for the acting awards, he is his usual talented self. It's really not easy to stammer when you're not naturally a stammer-er. He really brings out the frustrations and emotions of his character. Helena Bonham Carter plays a rather small role (in terms of screen time) in this film. Yes, she supports him and brings him to Logue, but aside from that there is little in her arc aside from a concerned wife. Good to see Carter in a different role though as we probably recognize her more in the 'crazy' roles she's undertaken such as Bellatrix Lestrange, Mrs Lovett and the Red Queen.
Overall it's a well done film and should enjoy a great award season run. How many Oscars will it take? That remains to be seen.
4/5
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