The Kings Speech - a Critique

[cookie]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/the-kings-speech/story-e6frg8pf-1225975091491

 

[Widebrim]

Interesting review, Cookie. Thanks.

 

[PBI1944]

Saw it last night.
BIG disappointment.
The characters were not fully developed.
Helena Bonham Carter (Queen Elizabeth) simply does not sell after one has seen THE QUEEN or MRS BROWN.
Mannerisms and speech seemed 'pushed' and I didnt buy it.
Firth (KGVI) is good, but we never delve into WHY he stuttered .. great scene with KGV (which should have gone further).
Prince Edward and the American tart Simpson was beleiveable but not enough gossip to develop the lead up to Balmoral.
The theatre was PACKED with anglophiles .... when the movie ended, a very tepid applause.
An Englishman I sat next too said it was a damn right silly film.
It could have been a great film, but it lacked so many things.

I read the Australian review ... but like its British counterpart, nothing but positive reviews.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

I wanted to see it yesterday afternoon, it was so hot here, but when i got to the Theatre it had already started, and there was a huge que waiting to buy tickets, so will go during the week after work, not sure about Guy Pearce as Duke of Windsor?

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

Andy Rooney mentions in his book My War a meeting between fellow correspondent Homer Bigart and King George. Bigart stammered, too, and suddenly everyone was afraid the king would think he was being made fun of. Turns out the two stuttered through a conversation with each other like nothing was out of the ordinary then went about their ways.

 

[PBI1944]

Jedburgh OSS,

Wow. Great story! Thanks for sharing that. Which probably provides evidence that the King never did solve his stuttering/stammering problem.

 

[PADDY]

This is 'crazy!' it doesn't come out in the UK (Great Britain) until next month (January!). Anyway, it's on my 'to do' list.

 

[DanielJones]

Very interesting review.

Cheers!


Dan

 

[PBI1944]

Guy Pearce was .... er ... credible, I would say. I dont know the intricate history of the Prince of Wales but assume that Pearce's impression was close. I wish that the movie had provided more of a background to the trashy party at Balmoral to better understand POW's character and reasons for abdicating; it was a seminal part of the movie.

 

[Red Diabla]

Saw it last night.
BIG disappointment.
(snip...)

The theatre was PACKED with anglophiles .... when the movie ended, a very tepid applause.
An Englishman I sat next too said it was a damn right silly film.
It could have been a great film, but it lacked so many things.

OF COURSE an Anglophile would have that response to the film, but I think for a subject that most Americans don't know anything about, this film is an engaging introduction to that time in history. Considering how boring most people find history to be, the film piqued my interest in wanting to know more about this period in the British monarchy by showing a very human trait being dealt with by a man who had an extraordinary position and duty to fill.

Since the film isn't a documentary, liberties will be taken to make the story good. But that doesn't mean that the film failed by doing that. I doubt very much that I'm the only person who is now more interested in this time period and will now further read up on it thanks to the film.

RD

 

[W-D Forties]

Did anyone see the new Upstairs Downstairs over Christmas? It covered this period, but unless I wasn't paying attention 'Bertie' appeared in it as a friend of the main character and appeared to have no stammer at all!

 

[PBI1944]

For those who may want more information on "Dr" Lionel Logue, the King's therapist, here is his Wikipedia page, for starters:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Logue

This is a fascinating part of history, especially from the royal's perspective. I feel another movie coming on that will cover Prince Edwards rise to HM, then abdication.

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

I feel another movie coming on that will cover Prince Edwards rise to HM, then abdication.

There is one that comes to mind from 1988 which I haven't seen since its original TV broadcast is The Woman He Loved with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. I don't remember if brother George's stammering was depicted or glossed over and ignored. The local TV critic at that time with an Indianapolis newspaper said there was an abundance of pained expressions on Andrews' face throughout the movie. Here's a link to it; I'm afraid the chances of catching it are pretty slim.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096460/

 

[W-D Forties]

There is one that comes to mind from 1988 which I haven't seen since its original TV broadcast is The Woman He Loved with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. I don't remember if brother George's stammering was depicted or glossed over and ignored. The local TV critic at that time with an Indianapolis newspaper said there was an abundance of pained expressions on Andrews' face throughout the movie. Here's a link to it; I'm afraid the chances of catching it are pretty slim.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096460/

Anthony Andrews (although lovely) always looks like that. As if he was trying to 'pass' a bowling ball.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We're getting this for three weeks later this month, and I'm very enthusiastic. Anything dealing with the Royal Family is gold at the box office for us -- a lot of people round here are descended from Loyalists (me included), and pictures dealing with the monarchy always do well. Colin Firth is another big draw here -- the only way this could do better for us is if they'd found a way to get Judi Dench into the cast.

Personally I'm a big fan of George VI -- ten times the man that good-for-nothing lounge lizard of a brother of his was, speech impediment or not.

 

[skyvue]

Personally I'm a big fan of George VI -- ten times the man that good-for-nothing lounge lizard of a brother of his was, speech impediment or not.

This is definitely the movie for you, then, Lizzie.

My wife and I saw it yesterday and enjoyed it very much.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Its doing great guns here in SRC, all showings are packed out, so will have to wait a while before I see it, as I hate a full house at the Cinema

 

[PBI1944]

LizzieMaine,

I could not agree more ... and great comments on the lounge lizard. Heavens, I laughed my behind off on that one. I really thought Judi Dench would have been a much better cast for Queen Elizabeth as the name still rings authentic from MRS BROWN.

 

[TimeWarpWife]

...Personally I'm a big fan of George VI -- ten times the man that good-for-nothing lounge lizard of a brother of his was, speech impediment or not.

Tell us how you really feel. :laugh: That was laugh out loud funny. :eusa_clap

 

[cookie]

Audience reaction has been overwhelming and profound : http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment...our-for-the-stammer-story-20110106-19gv4.html