Perhaps oratorical eloquence is something we always expect from other speakers, yet something elusive if we have to speak before any size of audience ourselves. Whether royalty or not, public speaking has certain universal effects on body parts - it induces the condition of being tongue-tied, and produces butterflies in the stomach, wobbly knees and cold feet - to the extent of resembling severe deformities!
So it must be with unspoken hidden agenda that others and myself sat around to watch this movie, hoping perhaps to pick up a tip or two to help alleviate the onset and extent of sudden dysfunctions when we have to face our personal ordeals of speaking before an audience!
Adapted from the book 'The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy', the movie is an emotional depiction of the relationship between a stammering king, King George VI [played by Colin Firth] and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue [played by the enigmatic Geoffrey Rush]. The book was written by Logue's grandson. If it's true that one who touches your heart helps you find the voice of self-confidence, then one who empowers you to speak will naturally have an effect on your heart. The therapist's deep empathy for the king and his unorthodox practices helped improve his client's public speaking remarkably. The king was grateful to his therapist for his loyalty and dedication to help him overcome his speech impediment.
If gratefulness and loyalty are ingredients for a great friendship, it's not surprising that their relationship solidified into a steadfast alliance. The epilogue of the movie made mention of this life-long friendship. I saw too the tension and risks inherent in any true and enduring friendship that produce the conditions for maturity. Helena Bonham Carter [I love her as the quaint Red Queen in 'Alice in Wonderland' who shoots off 'off with the head!'] is of course brilliant but real as the resourceful, courageous and just-as-determined-to-help King's wife or Duchess - one with a good head on her shoulder and a good heart to match: must-haves for authentic womanhood.
Adapted from the book 'The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy', the movie is an emotional depiction of the relationship between a stammering king, King George VI [played by Colin Firth] and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue [played by the enigmatic Geoffrey Rush]. The book was written by Logue's grandson. If it's true that one who touches your heart helps you find the voice of self-confidence, then one who empowers you to speak will naturally have an effect on your heart. The therapist's deep empathy for the king and his unorthodox practices helped improve his client's public speaking remarkably. The king was grateful to his therapist for his loyalty and dedication to help him overcome his speech impediment.
If gratefulness and loyalty are ingredients for a great friendship, it's not surprising that their relationship solidified into a steadfast alliance. The epilogue of the movie made mention of this life-long friendship. I saw too the tension and risks inherent in any true and enduring friendship that produce the conditions for maturity. Helena Bonham Carter [I love her as the quaint Red Queen in 'Alice in Wonderland' who shoots off 'off with the head!'] is of course brilliant but real as the resourceful, courageous and just-as-determined-to-help King's wife or Duchess - one with a good head on her shoulder and a good heart to match: must-haves for authentic womanhood.