The King's Speech

Flawlessly constructed historical drama about King George VI (Firth) overcoming his stammer and the friendship that builds with speech therapist Rush in an equally memorable role. Helena Bonham Carter is great as The Queen Mother, and Freya Wilson is respectfully subtle as Elizabeth II--intentionally blending with Ramona Marquez as Princess Margaret. On location production, beautifully shot and Danny Cohen's cinematography is exceptional. The most admirable thing about this incredible film is that the climatic sequence is merely just a speech--and believe it or not, it's indeed intense. Terrifically done, Hooper. One of the best in years.