Finally, a biopic of British royalty that doesn’t take itself as seriously as its predecessors. This particular king was not so valiant, nor so memorable from our history classes. However, he might very well be the most interesting monarch to receive big screen treatment.

Bertie (Colin Firth) is second in line to the throne and totally fine with it. A naval officer with a supportive, though slightly domineering wife (Helena Bonham Carter) and two little girls, Bertie is afflicted with the dreadful curse of stuttering. Having already been through years of traditional therapy, his wife finds Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an unlicensed, unorthodox speech therapist. Initially hesitant, Bertie blows his temper more often than not, storming from Lionel’s shanty office with a stern face.

When his father King George V (Michael Gambon) passes away just as World War II is reaching its peak, older brother (Guy Pearce) relinquishes his title in order to marry an American divorcée. Bertie is thrust under the crown as King George VI, the monarch who must talk a fearful nation through the imminent German threat of Hitler. The only way to give the king’s speech to his people is with Lionel’s guidance.

Following meager success with his English football biopic The Damned United and more distinct recognition for the HBO mini-series John Adams, director Tom Hooper immediately convinces us to buy at wholesale this epically true story of finding unusual friendship and overcoming adversity.

Set in a dreary, depression-ridden London, the film feels more alive than many of its actors as the camera never stops moving and only rests haphazardly on its subjects when the wallpaper has a sufficient amount of floral print. The close-ups and curious angles enhance the performances, which are sure to garner an abundant amount of love at the Academy Awards.

Firth is so convincing, you may leave the theater without the memory of his past work, how he actually speaks and what he really does for a living. He becomes so utterly engrossed by the character, those mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, that there is never a moment Bertie is sideswiped by Firth’s off-screen persona.

Opposite him, Rush is his perfect foil, well spoken, witty with a natural sense of timing and inexplicably entrancing, and for once, Bonham Carter is free from hair dye and the cackle that follows her from film to film. She is the real thing. With the perfect dose of both humor and melodrama, The King’s Speech will leave you comfortably satisfied and wishing for seconds.