Starring: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Jennifer Ehle Director: Tom Hooper

    THE moving and elegantly staged “The King’s Speech” was the big winner at the just concluded Oscars, driven by wonderful performances by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush who strike up the most unlikely of friendships as a troubled Royal and his Aussie speech-therapist. It has all of the right credentials to strike a chord with audiences fond of well-written period dramas that also happen to reveal some insight into the British royal family.

    Based on the true story of George VI’s battle to overcome a stammer that hampered both his confidence and ability to communicate with the public, it is a delightfully written film — that heads into tearjerker territory quite nicely — that shows that bravery can come in many forms.

    On paper, Geoffrey Rush’s “Henry Higgins”-like role is perhaps the showiest, but he subtly underplays the part of a maverick Aussie man-of-the-people and works extremely well with Colin Firth’s more mannered yet troubled royal.

    After his award-winning role in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” last year, Firth is busy confirming his reputation as a fine actor beyond the rom-com roles he can handle in his sleep.

    Helena Bonham Carter is equally restrained as Albert’s loving wife Elizabeth, the gentle power behind the throne, and is especially fine in a delicious scene where the royal couple visit Lionel in his modest home and finally meet Lionel’s wife (played by Jennifer Ehle, who is given little to do), who knows nothing about her husband’s rather famous client.

    David Seidler’s clever and amusing script allows a fascinating delve into a real-life story. Firth’s Albert is a man physically and psychologically tormented by his affliction and his bravery in both finding a way to deal with the situation and keeping on insisting in Lionel’s assistance in the face of distrust from his advisers is to be applauded.

    Director Tom Hooper (who made “The Damned United”) keeps things simple, relying on top-notch production design and costumes rather than flashy filmic flourishes, which sensibly enables the emotion rather than the gravitas to shine through. It is a moving and charming film that is entertaining, touching and informative … and all the better for it.

    The film is now being screened in Hong Kong.