The strength of THE KING'S SPEECH arises from its uncanny ability to defeat expectations of what kind of movie you think it will be: a stodgy, stagy drawing room drama of talking heads? Hardly, even if speech is the subject and heart of the film, Albert and Lionel's words are truly weapons wielded to break down mental barriers and hack away at royal-grade insecurity. When the words of his address stick in Prince Albert's throat addressing the British Empire Exhibition of 1925, Hooper's intimate direction makes his tension, frustration and embarrassment emotionally palpable. Lionel quickly learns that his greatest therapeutic challenge is to shatter Albert's defensive barriers to allow and trust actual treatment to work. Logue engages in clever subterfuge to throw the Prince — whom he irreverently calls Bertie — and audiences off their guard, circumventing expectations to yield surprising immediate results and short-circuiting Albert's stammer in the moment. Yet Lionel knows full well that wearing down Albert's resistance and self-doubt, reinforced by family and failed treatments for decades, will be a long, wearying campaign. Fortunately for viewers, Lionel's strategy also yields highly enjoyable moments of humor and humanity for audiences, easily engaging their sympathy and support for Albert's quest to best his personal demon.

As the political burden increases on Albert's shoulders, we see the seeds of his insecurity long-since sowed by his royal family in the domineering guise of his father King George V (ever excellent Michael Gambon) and the rather snotty digs of his brother Prince Edward (well-cast Guy Pearce), indifferently in line to become King Edward VIII. Paradoxically, Albert is relieved to avoid the public duty of England's throne yet increasingly critical of how out of touch Edward inherits the crown, the new King remaining utterly besotted by his scandalous love for American divorcee Wallis Simpson (Eve Best). Edward's childhood history of baiting and mocking Bertie replays itself on the grand stage of British royalty as the new King jabbing at his brother's stuttered disdain for Edward's immature, self-indulgent behavior. Even as Albert begins to find his voice by standing up to his crowned sibling, Edward undercuts his valid criticism by playing the stammer card like a petulant brat who elevates himself by keeping Albert down.

When Edward finally abdicates the throne to stay with Wallis, Albert is forced to confront his royal destiny and the immense public pressure to lead his people as another World War lurks over the horizon. Only Albert's wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter in finely tuned Tim Burton-free form here), stands staunchly in her husband's corner, sympathizing with his speech impediment but never allowing him to succumb to its domination over him. As this royal family scandal and upheaval on the throne of England plays out, it becomes painfully, lovingly clear that only Elizabeth has Albert's best interests in mind, both as a spouse and the next in line for king. Credit Carter, director Hooper and screenwriter Seidler (who overcame the same stammer) for their collaboration on investing Elizabeth with delicately subtle yet forceful power. When she and Albert are glimpsed in private family moments, telling bedtime stories to their young daughters Margaret and Elizabeth (now the reigning monarch of Britain), not only do the royal couple share the quiet, common joys of parenting just as Lionel does with his sons, but Albert's stammer nearly vanishes. His calmed tongue at such times speaks volumes about the pain and humiliation suffered in his father and brother's company.

Therein lies the key to Lionel's "common" treatment of Albert, including such unconventional therapeutic treatments as singing to an open window and firing off strings of swearing epithets which can't help but elicit good-natured laughs from viewers. Yet as Albert's coronation approaches, so mounts the pressure on him to address his nation and declare the King's support for declaring war on Germany. How Albert responds to this 'perfect storm' of internal nightmares remains the true test of his character as a monarch and a man. History may provide you with the answer beforehand, but watching Firth, Rush and Carter skirmish and struggle together, rushing headlong into Britain's destiny is truly an awe-inspiring feat. The film's finale with Lionel and Bertie secluded in front of the menacing radio microphone bristles with dramatic tension in a way few other films attempted in 2010.

Indeed this stirring drama should get a royal reception at the Academy Awards ceremony this year. Director Tom Hooper and writer David Seidler, with their uniformly superb cast, rightly share the crowning glory THE KING'S SPEECH achieves amid a very competitive season of award-worth films. No doubt Hooper will give THE SOCIAL NETWORK's David Fincher a neck-and-neck race for the Best Director Oscar in February, though FilmEdge gives Hooper's film a higher star rating. We consider Siedler a lock for Best Original Screenplay over Christopher Nolan's ingenious but less accessible INCEPTION script. Excellent Jeff Bridges still has an outside shot of repeating as Best Actor for his work as Rooster Cogburn in TRUE GRIT, though FE expects this to be Finch's winning year at last. High marks (and Oscar nominations) also to cinematographer Danny Cohen for capturing the intimate isolation and public terror of Albert's plight, a tonally tempered score composed by Alexandre Desplat, wonderful period production design and art direction by Eve Stewart and Judy Farr respectively, and spot-on costuming by Jenny Beavan.

However the awards season shakes out, THE KING'S SPEECH reigns supreme as an emotionally involving triumph over fear itself. Do yourself a favor and catch it in theaters while you can to see and hear it larger than life before you welcome it home this Spring.

Pre-order 2010 Best Picture nominee THE KING'S SPEECH starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter coming to Blu-ray and DVD on April 19th, 2011