The King's Speech has been slowly gaining momentum since it debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in September.  It continues to gain speed as it opens up in more theaters across America.

The King's Speech follows King George VI (Colin Firth) as he rises to the throne pre-WWII.  It starts out with his life as a Duke, largely out of the public eye, because of his stammering. As the radio picks up steam in the 1930's, the royal family is required to give more public broadcasts, which is difficult for the young Prince Albert. 

When his elder brother decides to marry Mrs. Spencer, a divorced American, and abdicates the throne, Albert must take over.  His wife, Elizabeth (played by Helena Bomhan Carter) enlists the help of a non-traditional speech therapist after much failure with other doctors to tackle his speech impediment.

The film focuses on the relationship between George, endearingly called Bertie by his close friends and family, and his speech therapist, Lionel (Geoffrey Rush).  Lionel is a tough therapist who challenges Bertie on many levels, both with his speech performance and emotional issues.  After much resistance, the two develop a close relationship.

Although the story is well written and performed, we miss a little bit of the emotional issues and why exactly those contributed to his stammer.

You can't help but be mesmerized by the relationship between the two men and both actors give flawless performances.  Colin Firth stammers with conviction and you believe he is really struggling through this speech impediment.

Geoffrey Rush plays the audacious speech therapist who treats the King like anybody else.  Rush also delivers an impeccable performance bringing wit and charm to the role.

Director Tom Hooper bring an endearing story to the big screen about an speech impediment that could have come across too funny and flippant.  Hooper finds a way to balance humor with serious and it's a perfect combination.

The King's Speech is a graceful film that produces the perfect portrayal of a man struggling to speak. It deserves all the praise it has received so far - look out Oscars!