The Y.W.C.A. Hioe Tjo Yoeng College
Name: ________________________(
S2 English Language
)
Class: ____
Date: ______________________
Film Reviews – The King's Speech
Pre-Reading – The following words are often used when discussing films. Tick the words you know.
Work with a partner to write the meanings for words that you do not know.
[] a) plot/ storyline ___________________________________________________________________
[] b) character/ role ___________________________________________________________________
[] c) leading actor/actress ______________________________________________________________
[] d) act/ play a role/ play a character _____________________________________________________
[] e) supporting actor/ actress ___________________________________________________________
[] f) cast ___________________________________________________________________________
[] g) star (n.)/ star (v.) _________________________________________________________________
[] h) sequel _________________________________________________________________________
[] i) genre __________________________________________________________________________
[] j) review _________________________________________________________________________
[] k) theme _________________________________________________________________________
[] l) crew ___________________________________________________________________________
[] m) producer ____________________________________________________________________
[] n) director ________________________________________________________________________
[] o) make-up artist ___________________________________________________________________
[] p) stunt man/ woman _______________________________________________________________
[] q) sound engineer __________________________________________________________________
[] r) special effect designer _____________________________________________________________
[] s) screenwriter ____________________________________________________________________
[] t) costume designer ________________________________________________________________
[] u) animator _______________________________________________________________________
The King's Speech was crowned best film at the 83rd Oscar Academy Awards lately. Nominated for 12
Oscars -- the most of any film -- it won four statuettes, including for Colin Firth for lead actor, Tom
Hooper for director, and David Seidler for original screenplay.
Question
Look at the picture on the next page with your group members. What can you tell about the film from
the picture? Write as much as you can in the box on the next page in 2 minutes.
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1. Introduction
Written by David Seidler and directed by Tom Hooper, The King's Speech is a richly enjoyable,
instantly absorbing true-life drama between King George VI and his Australian speech therapist Lionel
Logue: an affair brokered by George's shrewd wife in her pre-Queen-Mum incarnations as the Duchess
of York, and then Queen Elizabeth. These characters are performed with pure theatrical gusto by Colin
Firth as the miserably afflicted monarch, Geoffrey Rush as the speech coach and Helena Bonham
Carter as the Queen.
Reviewer: Peter Bradshaw, Thursday 6 January 2011 15:00 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/06/the-kings-speech-review
2. The storyline of The King's Speech
After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King
Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech
impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink
of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen
Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).
After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an
unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill
(Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his
people and unites them in battle.
Extracted from http://www.kingsspeech.com/about.html
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3. Film Opinion
The movie is intriguing. Firth's face is a picture of misery in the opening scene, under his top hat, as if
attending his own funeral. It is his first public appearance, required to speak through a microphone to
vast crowds at the empire exhibition at Wembley stadium, and via live radio to the nation. His stammer
means he can hardly get a word out, and the nation cringes with embarrassment.
The poor King as a younger man is forced to speak with his mouth full of marbles. But where Eliza had
to smarten up and talk proper, George VI has to move in the other direction: he has to loosen up, be less
formal, less clenched, less clinically depressed. The movie cleverly casts a new light on the
dysfunctional tremor at the heart of Britain's royal family, and cheekily suggests there was a time when
a British monarch experimented with psychoanalysis, disguised as speech therapy.
Not everyone's going to like this film: some may find it excessively royalist and may, understandably,
feel that it skates rather too tactfully over Bertie and Elizabeth's initial enthusiasm for appeasement.
Reviewer: Peter Bradshaw, Thursday 6 January 2011 15:00 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/06/the-kings-speech-review
I would say this production is one of the finest moments in modern film-making. Star Colin Firth's
portrayal of King George VI has the same impact as Dame Helen Mirren's portrayal of the king's
daughter Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen.
The moral of this narrative: Find a true friend to support you. What the speech wizard Logue does is
teach a man shackled by formality how to simply—and finally—relax!
Reviewer: André Leon Talley ,October 26, 2010 10:00 a.m.
http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/alt-on-the-kings-speech/
The King's Speech is an enormously entertaining picture out of familiar elements. Based on real events,
it draws from the sports-movie formula (complete with training montage) as well as the romanticcomedy formula (transferring the break-up and reconciliation to a platonic friendship). Firth and co-star
Geoffrey Rush give it humour and humanity; director Tom Hooper (The Damned United) keeps things
breezy but not glib, serious when necessary but never too serious. It's the very definition of a movie
with widespread grown-up appeal, perfect for snotty movie critics and regular people alike.
Reviewer: Eric D. Snider, December 21, 2010
http://www.film.com/features/story/review-standing-ovation-kings-speech/43129289
4. More film opinions from the press
''Irresistibly entertaining!''
by Newsweek
''A film that makes your spirit soar.''
by the Wall Street Journal
''An immerse crowd-pleaser''
by New York Post
''Their friendship is the biggest part of the healing story''
says Firth.
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Part A - Underline these 8 expressions in the passage. Match the expression to its meaning.
Expression
Meaning (cited from http://dictionary.cambridge.org)
a
absorbing (4)
1
causing or showing unhappiness
b
afflicted (7)
2
strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way
c
delve into (8)
3
different from what is usual or expected in behaviour, ideas,
methods, etc.
d
eccentric (2)
4
describes something that is very interesting and keeps your
attention
e
gusto (5)
5
great energy, enthusiasm and enjoyment that is experienced
by someone taking part in an activity, especially a
performance
f
miserably (1)
6
to speak or say something with unusual pauses or repeated
sounds, either because of speech problems or because of fear
and anxiety
g
stammer (6)
7
Suffering from illnesses
h
unorthodox (3)
8
to examine something carefully in order to discover more
information about someone or something
Part B – Find these 4 adjectives & 3 expressions in the passage and highlight them.
enjoyable
absorbing
intriguing
entertaining
give it humour and humanity
serious when necessary
cast a new light on
keep things breezy but not glib
Use at least 2 adjectives and 1 expression above to describe a film that you know in 80 words.
Film title: ________________________________________________
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Part C – Find these 13 adverbs and highlight them (use a different colour from the adjectives).
richly
cleverly
instantly
cheekily
miserably
excessively
enormously
tactfully
eventually
simply
hardly
understandably
irresistibly
Use 2 of the adverbs to describe some action in the film you described in Part B.
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ________________________(
)
Class: ______ Date: ________________________
Part D – Writing your Film Review
Information about the film
Title: ______________________________________________________________________________
Starring: ___________________________________________________________________________
Director: ___________________________________________________________________________
Producer: __________________________________________________________________________
Screenwriter: _______________________________________________________________________
Category: __________________________________________________________________________
Genre: Comedy / Romance / Action / Horror / Sci-fi / Documentary / Animation / Others: __________
Running Time: _____________________________________________________________________
Rating:
(least) 1
2
3
4
5 (most)
(Please circle)
In your film review, you should include the following:


Plot:
Comments:
write a synopsis about what happened in the story. (about 50 words)
you may write about the plot, characters, skills of acting, special effects, cast,
songs, background music. (about 100 words)
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