This King will be crowned

One of my great joys each week is the meeting of our Toastmasters club at work, a place where members meet to work on improving their public speaking abilities. So when one of our members suggested an outing to see The King's Speech, there was no stopping us.

This is a fantastic film and there's no doubt in my mind that it has the Best Picture Oscar in the bag.

Colin Firth will also be guaranteed to take home a win for Best Actor, he does an absolutely superb job of portraying England's King George VI. Forced to take the throne after his brother abdicates, he finds himself faced with the task of leading a nation on the brink of a second World War against Germany while coping with the paralyzing stigma of a lifelong stammer. How do you overcome that kind of obstacle and become not just a public speaker, but galvanizing leader of the free world? It's a fantastic premise, all the more compelling for being a true story. Firth does a wonderful job of making the disability seem tangible and completely real. How does an actor will something into being that has to seem involuntary? However it's done, Firth is incredible, creating a man in a position of power and authority who's completely vulnerable all the while. The contrast is captivating.

Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush are equally splendid. Rush is particularly strong and compelling as a man with his own shortcomings and vulnerabilities in life. His chemistry and work with Firth are wonderful to watch and director Tom Hooper (John Adams for HBO, The Damned United) renders an amazing atmosphere of wartime England that's letter perfect but never stale, directing with fresh perspectives and an eye that makes each new environment exciting and intimidating.

But for all the Royal trappings and manners, it's first and foremost a story about trying to overcome things you feel are beyond your control. About opening yourself to the world and allowing yourself to connect with a friend and look at yourself in the mirror. There's not one dull moment in The King's Speech, it's funny and touching and fascinating all the while. It has a resounding voice and should not be missed.