Starring Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush; Directed by Tom Hooper

See the trailer here. 

The King’s Speech is a nearly perfect film. I say this because when the illustrious Katie Kellogg and I left the theater neither of us had a negative thing to say about it. 

The art direction, score, costuming, script, and performances are all solid. I think this film is a strong contender for Best Picture — I would love to see it trump The Social Network. I think Rush and Carter will definitely get supporting actor nods, and Firth is a sure bet for Best Actor. Personally, I think he deserves the recognition at long last. 

The most striking thing about this film, however, lies in its cinematography. The choice to use wide lenses throughout and play with depth of field and interesting shots translates beautifully on screen. 

In an article in Variety, director Tom Hooper says this he made this choice to make the King’s mouth a focal point in the film. After all, the story is centered around his speech impediment and the man who worked with him and gave him the tools and courage to speak to — and lead — the nation of Great Britain during wartime. Taking Hooper’s vision and realizing it on screen, Director of Photography Danny Cohen did an incredible job. 

By placing him in only a small portion of the shot, “drown[ing] in empty space,” Cohen was mirroring how the King was metaphorically drowning in his own speech. Genius. 

These artistic choices, showcasing David Seidler’s screenplay and a sleuth of excellent performances, makes The King’s Speech one of my favorite films of the year.