The King’s Speech [2010]

Make no mistake, The King’s Speech is what it is for two reasons: one, Colin Firth’s mammoth, heartbreaking performance and two, Danny Cohen’s extraordinary work behind the lens. Firth as King George VI is, simply put, perfect. Helena Bonham Carter renders some of the finest work in her career, and Guy Pearce and Geoffrey Rush round out the Firth-centric cast nicely. The cinematography by Cohen is just beautiful (shades of blue are particularly striking). But what this film has, visual and performance-wise, it lacks in overall power. Is it good? Yes. 12-Oscar-nominations good? Absolutely not. Overrated? Very much so.