Colin Firth is a king. Playing George VI, King of England during the onset of World War II, Firth delivers another command performance, presenting a character that is struggling internally and presenting that struggle subtley such that we are able to commiserate (see A Single Man for another great example of Firth at work). Here George's older brother abdicates the throne in order to marry his recently divorced beau (which is necessary since the head of the Church of England could not possible marry a divorcee). George takes the throne just as mass public communication becomes an effective tool for politicians and heads of state, a necessary tool to rally the public to war. The problem is that George has a problem with stammering and a deathly fear of speaking in public. Enter Geoffrey Rush, unconventional speech therapist who coaxes and coaches George into coping with public speaking and realizing that perhaps some of his royal elitism is misplaced. A fascinating look at modern royalty.
4 stars (out of 5)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment