Friday, June 24, 2011

THE KING'S SPEECH


The two Logues, the real life one and the actor's portrayal (G Rush).




BANTER


Lionel Logue: I believe sucking smoke into your lungs will kill you.

King George VI: My physicians say it relaxes the throat.

Lionel Logue: They're idiots.

King George VI: They've all been knighted.

Lionel Logue: Makes it official then.

The recent movie, The King's Speech, tells the story of a British monarch's struggle to conquer a terrible stammer and speak to the nation at the dawn of WWII. It is a compelling tale which features excellent acting by Colin Firth, Helen Bonham Carter and most notably, Australian Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue. The film was a great success although ultimately criticized for historical inaccuracies. Apparently George's stammer was not that pronounced and there are other inconsistencies concerning the run up to the second World War. My hero, Timothy Spall, does a grand job as Churchill but this was portrayal was also rebuked. In a guarded moment, Churchill confides that he (Churchill) had also overcome a speech problem. He advises the King to make any hesitation seem to be charged with drama, to give his discourse more severity and weight, the pregnant pause.

It is the banter that Logue uses in the training of his patient "Bertie" that endeared me to this film. The speech therapist also demands absolute dedication from his patients as he employs a plethora of methods (both physical and psychological) to focus the person on the job at hand.

I recommend the film most enthusiastically.

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