The King's Speech (2010)

There is something to be said for seeing a Best Picture winner before it actually wins the award. As luck would have it, I got to see The King's Speech a few weeks before it won the award about an hour ago.

I do not hide the fact that I am an Anglophile. Foreign actors and actresses always just seem to be better than the American ones. There are a few American actors I would argue are wonderful at what they do but those ones seeking fame and cookie-cutter roles should never be praised or call what they do acting.

Now, for Colin Firth. I was not one of those people that saw his famous BBC production of Pride and Prejudice back in 1995. I did however, love him as the updated Mr. Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary. One of my other favorite movies is Love Actually, also staring Mr. Firth.

The King's Speech was exactly what I expected from a British film. There were scenes that made the audience laugh, scenes that provided a lump in the back of your throat (one should never cry at a British film, it would be very un-British), and scenes that made you sympathize with a "king." As I was watching the film, I thought to myself, "This is Best Picture material."

Some of the works of Beethoven are used during the film which help add to my loving it. While the King is giving his speech to a nation about to enter World War II, the music complements the speech so well that it gave me goosebumps and a sense of pride that I would imagine would be patriotism, if I were a royal subject. I came home from the movie that evening and purchased one of the famous posters from Britain in WWII, "Keep Calm and Carry On."

I did notice that the woman who played Geoffrey Rush's wife in the film was Elizabeth Bennet to Colin Firth's Fitzwilliam Darcy. The entire cast was wonderful and even the corgis were precious. I am very glad this film won Best Picture and that Colin Firth took home the Best Actor award! God Save the King!