This film chronicles how the second son of King George V transforms into a leader and ascends the throne in spite of some personal challenges.

Albert Frederick Arthur George or as his family calls him, “Bertie” (Colin Firth), is required to tour and give speeches as part of his royal duties. However, he is fairly mild mannered and has a speech impediment. His wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) assists him in seeking out numerous speech therapists, but nothing seems to help. That is until she is referred to a controversial speech therapist by the name of Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Lionel and Bertie seem to clash in the beginning. Bertie’s royal demands and expectations do not fit with Lionel’s methods. Despite their differences, this commoner and royal eventually work well together. And everything seems to fall into place at just the right time.

Bertie’s father is ill and his elder brother Edward (Guy Pearce) is in line to inherit the throne. The only problem is that Edward would rather enjoy the spoils of his aristocratic lifestyle instead of fulfilling any of his obligations. In fact, soon after his father passes and he is crowned king, Edward chooses to abdicate his title and throne, so he can marry his twice-divorced mistress. With a scandal looming over the royal family and the threat of war with Germany in the air, all expectations and responsibilities fall on a reluctant Bertie. With Lionel’s help, Bertie delivers a speech worthy of his new title, King George VI, which gives his people hope and unites them during a difficult time.

The performances in this film are brilliant. The dialogue is extremely witty. It’s an all-around exceptional movie and I highly recommend it. Prior to seeing it, I knew very little about the film and actually had to be persuaded to go to the theater. I am so glad that I went. During the final scene I even thought to myself that I wasn’t ready for it to end. I wanted to see more. The relationships between all the characters are so interesting and done so well. I really wanted to see what was next for them. Do yourself a favor and see this one. I will be shocked and disappointed if this movie or the actors in it do not receive a ton of awards.