This is a wonderful film, centering on three main characters and based on a true story. Alebert (Colin Firth) is the second son of the Kind of England. He is naturally shy and cautious, and his father is domineering and difficult. He is not nearly as gorgeous as his dishy brother, who will be king, and he is openly abused by one of his nanny's early in life. She would pinch him to make him cry when he had his minimal visits with his parents each day, and starved him. It doesn't take much to break a child, and he emerged from early childhood with a crippling stammer.
He is unhappy about it, but no treatment has worked, and he feels comfortable in his role as number 2 heir to ther throne. Two events conspire to destabilize his world--his father becomes suddenly quite ill and dies, and his brother is openly invovled with a married woman, which was seen as wholly unsuitable for a king. Adding to the mix is that Europe is on the brink of WWII, and England was crippled by WWI.
He starts to work, at the behest of his wife, with Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Logue is more a psychotherapist than just a speech therapist, and he works with the king to overcome his anxieties and impediments. Logue tells the king unpleasant truths and gradually the king begins to listen to him. Most importantly, he is able to speak. Lucky for him, it is radio days, and no one can see how pained he is as he speaks, but speak he does.
Great story well told.
No comments:
Post a Comment