Since the movie, "The King's Speech", is not showing at the movie theater nearby in Houma, La., I decided to see the film while I was in New Orleans on Monday. After I dropped off my grandchildren from Thibodaux to visit their aunt and cousins in New Orleans, I headed for the theater. The movie is superb, intelligent, adult (NOT meaning sexually explicit!) entertainment. The actors, the sets, the witty script, everything about the movie is just right. Before seeing the movie, I read only one review in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and that one was all I needed to get me there. I left the theater with great satisfaction at the close of nearly two hours, thinking that my time was very well spent.
Have a look at the cast:
Colin Firth - King George VI
Helena Bonham Carter - Queen Elizabeth
Guy Pearce - King Edward VIII (later, The Duke of Windsor)
Michael Gambon - King George V
Geoffrey Rush - Lionel Logue
Timothy Spall - Winston Churchill
Jennifer Ehle - Myrtle Logue
Derek Jacobi - Cosmo Gordon Lang (Archbishop of Canterbury)
Anthony Andrews - Stanley Baldwin
Eve Best - Wallis Simpson
Freya Wilson - Princess Elizabeth
Ramona Marquez - Princess Margaret
Colin Firth performed the best I've ever seen him in a film. He didn't play George VI, he was George VI. Helena Bonham Carter performed in her usual excellent style as Bertie's (as he was known in the family) wife Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth, and for many years after her husband's death, known and loved as the Queen Mum.
Since Bertie stutters, public appearances are painful for him and for those who listen to him speak. Enter Geoffrey Rush, in a brilliant performance as Lionel Logue, an Australian speech coach, and the story takes off with the focus on the relationship between the two men, as Logue puts Bertie through his paces to rid him of his stutter.
As war looms, and Bertie's brother, the Prince of Wales, played well by Guy Pearce in his brief appearances, is determined to continue his relationship with the twice-divorced, Wallis Simpson, the possibility that Bertie, rather than his brother David, as the Prince of Wales was known in the family, would succeed their father on the throne increased. Bertie ever more desperately needs to overcome the stutter.
Derek Jacobi, as Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang, is a delight to watch and comes close to stealing every scene he's in, and Michael Gambon as George V is excellent. Claire Bloom, as usual, shines in her cameo part as George V's consort, Queen Mary. Anthony Andrews plays Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. I hadn't seen Andrews act since the TV series "Danger UXB". Of course, I remember him best from his role as Sebastian Flyte in the magnificent "Brideshead Revisited" series. He's grown old, but not so old as I have. Although her appearance is brief, Eve Best is stunning as Wallis Simpson. The only casting with which I would take issue is Timothy Spall as Winston Chruchill. To me, Spall did not fit the part.
My fairly clear memories go back to the later years of World War II, so I remember seeing the Royal Family in the newsreels in the movie theater and in Life and Look magazines. I remember the times, and I remember the people, which probably made the film more enjoyable for me, especially since every aspect of the movie is so well done.
During the Blitz, George and Elizabeth remained at Buckingham Palace, which received several direct hits, and the girls were sent to stay at Windsor Castle. The two visited the bombed areas and the bomb shelters in London and conducted themselves altogether honorably throughout the war.
After Edward's abdication, he married the woman he loved, and, as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, they traipsed around the world partying for many years, with intense coverage by the media for, I suppose, their great skill at having a good time.
Well, I've rambled on with my reminiscences about the period, but I hope I did not do a spoiler review, and I urge you all to see the movie. Watch the trailer, if you like.
Now I'm determined to see it. I'm a big fan of many of those cast members, especially Michael Gambon, who I've just been watching as Mr. Woodhouse in the 2009 BBC series of 'Emma'.
ReplyDeleteGood, because I don't give you a choice in the matter. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhy was Timothy Spall no good in your opinion, Mimi? ...
ReplyDeleteCathy, I saw newsreels and listened to speeches by Churchill. In addition, I've read books by him and about him, and Spall was just not my Churchill. I couldn't suspend disbelief.
ReplyDeleteOf course, he has only a very small role in the movie as Lord of the Admiralty in a few scenes.
He's a lovely actor, the old Tim Spall.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure who you would get to play Churchill, in fact.
My dislike of Spall in the role may simply be my own peculiar quirk.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't meaning to imply that :-) I'm sure you're right. I probably won't in fact go and see it till it comes out on DVD or TV because I am hopeless at catching up with films, but I am more than willing to take your word for it that he is miscast.
ReplyDeleteCathy, suspend judgment until you can judge for yourself. :-)
ReplyDeleteMimi, I intend to see the movie; it sounds wonderful in every respect. (Although, was it odd to have Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet married to other people?!?)
ReplyDeleteI was a big fan of Danger UXB, back in what seems like another life.
WV: twitesse. Gosh, I hope I am not one!
(Although, was it odd to have Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet married to other people?!?)
ReplyDeletePenny, not really. They were so young in the BBC Pride and Prejudice that I never once thought of them as Darcy and Elizabeth as I watched "The King's Speech".
No, you're not a twitesse.
I will take the liberty of repeating much of my comment to your earlier reference to seeing this movie as I posted when I had seen the movie which was quite a while after your blog had moved on.
ReplyDeleteI thought the movie was excellent. I was a bit concerned beforehand as Colin Firth and George VI have no resemblance whatever but found that did not matter. Colin Firth is quickly becoming my favourite actor. Of course, I was proud that Logue was an Aussie and portrayed by an excellent Aussie actor. As a keen reader of Royal histories I knew the general story beforehand. I have always believed that God's mysterious hand was in the succession dilemma. Just imagine if England had entered the war with Edward as King, the thought is too horrible to contemplate.
In reference to Churchill, I think the movie was misleading. Churchill actually took Edward's side during the abdication crisis. However he and King George worked closely together during the war and Churchill admitted he had been wrong. There was discussion in the Sydney papers that the Duke of York opened Australia's first Parliament house in 1927 despite the stammer. But others pointed out that Logue began treating him in 1926. It would be interesting to find a recording of that earlier speech. I was only 7 years old when George VI died but can clearly remember the newspaper headlines and the solemnity of the adults around me that day. It is probably my earliest memory of a newsworthy occasion. The Queen Mother approved the original screenplay but asked that the film not be made in her lifetime.
Wasn't George V the one who said "My father feared his father, I feared my father, and, by God, my children will fear me!"? Alan Bates had been my favorite, to date, but I'm looking forward to Michael Gambon's portrayal - and what a wonderfully classy choice for Queen Mary! I hadn't heard about that. Given my generation, I'll always think of Claire Bloom as Hera in The Clash of the Titans. Nice to hear she got a promotion to Queen of the UK.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, Mimi, when I heard the choice of Timothy Spall I was taken aback - and I enjoy Timothy Spall!
Brian, I'm glad you repeated your comment here. Judging from his life after he abdicated, the Duke of Windsor would not have been the right king for the difficult times.
ReplyDeleteI remember when King George died and when Elizabeth was crowned Queen. She was 27, but she seems so very young in my memory of the ceremony.
My earliest memory of a solemn event for the whole country here in the US was when Roosevelt died.
I actually have a 1959 encyclopedia (What? They're expensive!) and it has a coronation portrait of Elizabeth II - she did look young and looked as if the crown weighed about a ton on a little girl.
ReplyDeleteMark, Claire Bloom is always classy. I agree that Spall is a wonderful actor, but he just was not Churchill for me.
ReplyDeleteI looked up the quotation from George V and I found this:
My father was frightened of his mother. I was frightened of my father and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me.
George V's father, Edward VII, was frightened of his mother, who was Queen Victoria.
Yes! I remember the crown looked large and heavy on Elizabeth.
Of course! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would also add, since I am a fan of Colin Firth, that if you haven't seen it, he has a wonderful role in Love, Actually - the overall movie is hit-and-miss, but his character engages throughout.
ReplyDeleteJust saw it a few hours ago, and yes, it is superb. There was a huge amount of detail they got exactly right, and they missed every opportunity to mess up bits of characterization. Also, the music. I really can't believe what they did with Beethoven's Seventh.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the acting was good.
Did anybody else notice that pretty much all the music that wasn't original score was German? They even had that tune from a Haydn quartet, which the English made into a hymn, in its more familiar form of Deutschland Über Alles. Haydn would probably have preferred the former; he certainly had a liking for England. (I have a warm spot for the hymn, having sung along with it once in Westminster Abbey.)
The English haven't lost the taste for going once more unto the breach, or the skill and inventiveness to put on stage and film. This is reassuring.
My earliest memory, like yours, is the death of Roosevelt. I was playing in the front yard at our house in Ft. Benning, GA. I will have to wait until I return to see the film, though, and I'm really looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mimi -- I had heard some about this on NPR and thought it intriguing but your review makes me want to see it even more. I love Derek Jacobi in whatever role he plays. He was fabulous in I, Claudius. I was looking him up on IMDB and was astounded -what a body of work - all good.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the movie, but I've always had a soft spot for George VI.
ReplyDeleteEdward VIII did no favors to his brother when he abdicated, but he did Britain a very great favor. The right man became king.
We forget that much of the British Establishment admired and supported Hitler before the War. George loathed Hitler and everything he stood for. The King took his stand with Churchill and the general public in resisting and finally defeating the Nazis. He refused to leave London during the Blitz, and stayed behind to share the in the sufferings of his subjects. He was a very brave and great king indeed.
On Netflix you can save "The King's Speech" to your DVD queue, although the DVD has not yet been released.
ReplyDeleteFWIW I saw Eve Best in just about her very first performance anywhere on stage in London in Ford's Tis Pity She's A Whore with Jude Law in 1999. She was utterly brilliant in it and I thought she would go far. And she has.
ReplyDeleteAlso, given the sheer contrast with her role in The King's Speech, I have to mention I saw Helena Bonham Carter last night on the telly playing a working-class cleaner from a council estate in Wolverhampton. She wore cheap red high heels and had a fag constantly hanging off her lip and was repellent and earthy and vulgar and sexy all at the same time. I really rate Helena Bonham Carter, I think she's brilliant too.
ReplyDeleteMark, I saw "Love, Actually" and thought it was mostly "miss". :-(
ReplyDeletePorlock, you're right about the music, but I didn't note at the time that most of the soundtrack in the film was German music.
The movie was an indie, so it was not bound by the constraints of a big studio production.
Those of you who haven't seen the movie, don't miss it.
Counterlight, I agree. George VI inspired his people by his strength and courage and provided a shining example of grace under pressure.
Ormonde, if I can see a movie in a theater, I prefer to do so. I like the mystique of watching in a dark, quiet (mostly) atmosphere, away from interruptions and home noises. Watching DVD is second best for me, although I'm grateful for the technology that allows us to see movies that we miss in theaters.
Cathy, Eve Best was electric in her brief appearances, and I'm yet to see a performance by Bonham Carter that was not excellent.
I think Love, Actually is pox. But I like Colin Firth in everything he does.
ReplyDeleteCathy, I grow impatient seeing movies that are not really good, even though my favorite actors appear in them.
ReplyDelete"Glorious things of Thee are Spoken" is the hymn I know to Haydn's tune. I truly look forward to seeing this film. Thanks for the review, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteVW = "singun"
I'm singun in the reign!
Can't wait for it to come out on dvd. Unfortunately we don't have a cinema within 75 miles, so it's dvd's or sky tv. Thanks to everyone for their comments. It is definitely one I should like to watch.
ReplyDelete"Singun in the reign", Susan S, kindly leave the stage!
ReplyDeleteA good many indie movies don't show around here, sometimes not even in New Orleans, so I'm grateful for DVD versions.
ReplyDeleteCathy, thanks for taking care of business with Susan S.
Susan, you remind me that the other movie, "Singing in the Rain" is one of my all-time favorites. My video will soon need replacing by a DVD because of deterioration due to overuse.
That's susan s., Cathy, and I had left the stage.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm sorry, susan s., but if you make a dreadful pun you can't leave the stage until you are told to. You must abide by the rules, you know :-)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, guys, this is off-thread, but there is a fabulous production of Rigoletto on BBC4 with Placido Domingo on this evening that I am watching. I only found out about it because Erika (who is also ill and at home) posted on Facebook to say she was curled up on the sofa watching it. So, Facebook has some positive uses.
ReplyDeleteAnd, susan s., at least a brief period of standing on the stage in humiliation is a requirement before dismissal for dreadful puns.
ReplyDeleteCathy, I hope your comments here indicate that you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteI just returned from seeing The King's Speech. Lovely movie indeed and I will surely want to see it again. How nice to have "interior action" instead of chases and explosions. George VI and Elizabeth were a wonderful contrast to Edward VIII and Wallis. We all dodged a bullet there. George VI was king when I was born and I remember him on coins, just as I remember ER2's coronation.
Paul, I am feeling better today, thank you for asking :-) The bug seems to have done its worst and receded, thanks be to God.
ReplyDeleteThe film seems to have got a positive response from all who have seen it, which is unusual.
Marci and I just came back from seeing it and we thought it was brilliant. And for what it's worth, Mimi, I think you were spot on in your judgement of the actor who plays Churchill.
ReplyDeleteI thought Helena Bonham Carter stole the show, actually. Queen Elizabeth, to a tee.
Thanks for a great recommendation and a really enjoyable afternoon.
The WV is 'latedul' - not sure if that's meant to describe me or not!!!
Tim, I'm so pleased that you and Marci enjoyed the film. I should get a cut of the profits for all the people I've sent to see the movie. And that's just counting the internet!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the validation about Timothy Spall not being Churchill.
I couldn't get into "The King's Speech" today. Probably it was too much to hope on a dreary holiday in New England. But I did see "The Rabbit Hole," instead, which I would recommend. It's a good old-fashioned weeper with a good story and some very honest insights into the realities of the so-called grieving process.
ReplyDelete