Your Majesty, Sir!

This time I will diverge from writing about books and write about a film.  If you know me, you won't be surprised at my choice of films, yes The King's Speech! A dear friend recommended it to me without reservation; I mentioned it to another dear friend, she had seen it, but was more than willing to see it again. I saw it the first time.....and LOVED it!  I visited my sister in California last week, she hadn't seen it and wanted to, I was MORE than willing to see it again.  It was even better the second time around.

If you don't know the story, it is about King George VI of England, father of the present Queen Elizabeth, a man who had an almost debilitating stutter.  Since he was second son, he didn't think this would make much of a difference, BUT, his older brother David, king for a very short time, abdicated so he could marry Wallis Simpson, a twice divorced woman from Baltimore.  Fortunately for the world, George VI was king during World War II, not his older brother.  His older brother was sympathetic to Hitler, George VI was not.

Okay....that is background, now to the movie.  In order to lead the nation, the king often had to address his people, and he had to overcome his stutter.  His wife found a non-conventional therapist who was able to help the King overcome his stutter.  Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue, the therapist, and Colin Firth as the King are both terrific.  What a pair they are....first adversaries, then friends.  Thanks to Logue, the King became the encourager of his people on the radio and in person.  Also, Logue became his friend.  The most poignant line in the movie was when Logue said something about his friends (the King's).  King George replied, "I don't have any friends."  That was the lonely life he lived until he married.  He was fortunate in his marriage, and it was a real love match. 

Colin Firth, whom we remember as THE Mr.Darcy from A&E's Pride and Prejudice in 1995, does a masterful job in a completely different role. He has played many successful roles since 1995, and was nominated for an Oscar last year.   I don't know how difficult it must have been to learn to stutter like he did, but I felt every humiliating anguish with him, and triumphed with him at the end.  If you've seen it, did you notice Logue's wife?  She was played by Jennifer Ehle who was Elizabeth Bennett with Pride and Prejudice. Remember how good she was? 

If you haven't seen this movie, by all means do so.  I  see very few movies a year, and this was my movie, probably for 2011.  It is a treasure, and so is Colin Firth.