Le Discours d'un roi

Une magnifique caméra et une mise en scène (une promenade dans un parc brumeux avec des arbres coniques est un orgasme esthétique), des acteurs brillants, un héros principal handicapé (avec une scène de pleurs bouleversante), une épouse aimante, et quand ça devient plus intense, le booster de l'urgence se présente sous la forme de l'ascension d'Hitler au pouvoir... Simplement, une âme pure de rainman dans les décors nobles et anglais de Merchant et Ivory, ce n'était pas une autre mise sur la certitude des Oscars, bien que cette fois-ci réellement bienveillante et sincère. Mais ne soyons pas sentimentaux - Tom Hooper a simplement utilisé de manière "parfaite" tout ce qu'il a appris à l'école et ce que lui a enseigné le Hollywood doré et l'Angleterre dorée, et n'a pas apporté d'empreinte artistique à son œuvre, ni ne l'a fait avancer d'un pouce. C'est pourquoi je soutenais des artistes plus personnels, plus audacieux et plus progressistes comme Fincher et Aronofsky... (08/03/2011)

Very pleasant period piece. A series of speech therapy sessions is not an ideal premise for the silver screen, but they managed to turn it into a remarkable result. Colin Firth excels in the role of an uncertain stuttering king and his performance is undoubtedly Oscar-worthy, he feels very sincere and uncynical, unlike the rest of the film. The titular “king’s speech” at the end really got me. 9/10 (23/01/2011)

The Unbearable Lightness of Royal Being, or the first film that allowed me to understand the power and meaning of the monarchy. Tom Hooper may be accused of "academic coldness" by some sensitive folk, but in my opinion, he directs in an economical style that allows the actors' charisma to shine through, placing The King's Speech amongst the ranks of engagingly chatty films like Howard's Frost/Nixon or Fincher's The Social Network. (23/01/2011)

A cultured speech therapy drama about the power of the voice and the imaginary status of a king. A wonderfully blissful play of static semi-details, mannerist textures and refined interiors, against which the chaotic wallpaper of Dr. Logue proudly stands out, who understands that the king is king above all when his subjects believe him. And in the 1930s, they can trust his voice above all. It's all a typical Rocky template about an outsider who climbed to the top, even though no one believed in him. Even with its sensitively stylizing representation of history, it is the equivalent of the excellent drama Frost/Nixon. An acting concert, from Colin Firth's stressed-out creation to Helen Bonham Carter's light-legged ballet. Maybe over-modified, but I like it... more than a handsome, gelled Fincher mop of hair. (20/01/2011)

It can start subtly and escalate very gradually, but King's Speech deeply touched me and when it comes to admiration for acting performances, it literally surpassed them. And just like the main character is a timid speaker and a future famous ruler, the movie is on one hand a sweet little film and on the other a spectacle that almost everyone can love and celebrate. (07/02/2011)

I would never have thought a film that dealt "only" with the King's speech could be this interesting and so moving. Great performances by both G. Rush and Colin Firth! No clichés, no kitsch... nice to see. Beautiful English! (11/02/2011)

A typically British, perfectionistic, and old-fashioned film, which, although it has a number of undeniable merits starting with excellent casting, appropriate performances, and conservative but flawless direction, somehow did not enthuse me and captivate me. It deals with aristocratic "better" people bound by strict social rules, etiquette, and responsibility, not for themselves, but for the reputation and status of their family. These people have sympathy for the plebeians down below and feel responsibility for them about as much as a medieval feudal lord felt responsibility for his subjects. By the way, they reduce people to one group and even though they talk a great deal about that group, they are extremely careful not to get themselves dirty with the people below and actually do not even know them. Overall impression: 80%. (18/04/2011)

A very enjoyable intimate drama about real issues against the backdrop of historical events. The cast is great, of course, but in a way too much so, because each of the main three characters is such a distinct actor that they overshadow their characters. The set design also has no major flaws, which is good, although that’s almost a given nowadays. (07/10/2012)

Serious themes of an interesting era in the chronicle of humanity, the beauty of Victorian England (exteriors/interiors, aesthetics), and a lead cast of two. These are the three main assets in this formally meticulously done film, which lacks pull and a good dose of emotion. The sparkle is not enough. If Tom Hooper wasn't just a good craftsman, but a progressive innovator who could put his own distinctive spin on things (and there was a ton of room for that here), this would be downright great. Academics have lost their minds over something that isn’t nearly that great. (31/10/2015)

A film for which I didn't mind the expected plot development, the touching ending, and the overall almost violent "you're watching an Oscar movie, so a bit of respect bloody hell" vibe. Firth is divine, Carter is divine, Rush is divine, the cinematography is divine (pleasing even for a conversational film, imaginative use of steadycam), the script is divine, the ending is exactly as it should be, and the heaps of euphemisms that make up the English upper class vocabulary are hilarious without even needing to be pointed out. I'd still be more in favor of Oscars for Black Swan, though, because my sensibilities have always been closer to films that aren't afraid to experiment. (09/03/2011)

When this film is summarized, it's actually about how one person learns to speak, so he tries not to stutter. It's almost tempting to say that it's banal, but when it's filmed well, when the right actors are chosen, then it becomes something very unique. In this case, it succeeded and Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush deliver incredible performances. I think Geoffrey is actually the star of this film, but the Academy once again didn't appreciate him. It doesn't matter, it doesn't change the fact that the film is great. (06/03/2014)