I've written in the past that when I watch a biopic I want to learn something. Sometimes we learn about something which is totally unfamiliar, and in other instances we obtain new or previously unrevealed information about a well-known subject. For me, The King's Speech offered both. I guess that I was aware of King George VI and that his name had come up at some point while studying World War II (History was never my best subject.), but I certainly wasn't aware that he had a communication disorder. This level of discovery is only the surface of this charming movie.

The King's Speech opens in the early 1930s. With the rise of radio, King George V (Michael Gambon) has taken to giving addresses over the "wireless" to the people of England, and he expects his son, Prince Albert (Colin Firth) to do the same. Unfortunately, Albert has a crippling stammer, which discourages him from speaking public. We first see him fumbling through a short speech at a horse race. He has consulted with speech therapists, but nothing has worked. Albert's wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), seeks the help of Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a therapist in a low-rent section of London. She requests for him to come see her husband (whose identity she doesn't reveal), but Logue insists that he only works in his office. So, imagine his surprise when Prince Albert walks in. Feeling out of place, and having failed at therapy before, Albert is resistant to Logue's peculiar approach to therapy. But, Logue persists and soon a bond is built between the two and Albert begins to show some progress. Meanwhile, Albert's brother, Edward (Guy Pearce), is poised to take the throne. But, his private life has created some ripples, meaning that Albert may have to become King.

As you know, The King's Speech won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and having now seen the film, it's obvious why. Also, the movie was a box office success and the reasons for this shine through as well. The movie is a British period piece, a genre which Oscar voters can't seem to resist. We are treated to lavish palaces, and the mint green residence of Prince Albert and his family, as well as the costumes and trappings which come with this. There's lot of pomp and circumstance and the sprinkling in of historical figures like Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall).

Of course, Rush isn't the only good actor here. Best Actor winner Colin Firth has done an excellent job of mimicking the mannerisms of a stammerer, but his performance goes beyond that. As heir to the throne, Albert must project a certain bravado, but he's actually a scared and wounded man. Firth brings out both sides of this, throwing a little humor in at times. It's when he's quiet that he's most effective, as his facial gestures show just how much he appreciates Logue's help. Helena Bonham Carter is excellent as well, and not just because she's playing a normal person for once.

I normally find Best Picture winners to be gloomy and boring, but the amount of humor and heart set forth in The King's Speech help to break this trend. Thus, as any good biopic should be, the movie is both entertaining and educational. However, please note that the movie isn't perfect. It thankfully doesn't wear out its welcome, as it does have a lot of story to tell. However, it is a bit dry and slow in some spots, and the movie does suffer when Rush isn't on screen.

The King's Speech makes you wonder just how many times that wall has been painted on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of The Weinstein Company and Anchor Bay Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 (was the OAR 1.85:1?) and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 35 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing only minor grain at times and no defects from the source material. The film has an overcast, very English look to it, but the picture is never overly dark or bright. Due to this look, any brighter color really stands out. The image shows a nice amount of detail, as we can make out textures on surfaces, and the depth is good as well. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 3.3 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. Being a period drama, we aren't treated to a lot of dynamic audio effects here, but the echoes and crowd noises from the opening speech do sound fine in the rear channels and there are some well-placed stereo effects at times. The sound effects and music never drown out the dialogue.

The King's Speech Blu-ray Disc contains only a few extras for a Best Picture winner. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Tom Hooper. "The King's Speech: An Inspirational Story of an Unlikely Friendship" (23 minutes) is a slick and studio-friendly making of featurette which contains a lot of clips from the movie. Along with this, we get comments from Hooper and the cast who discuss the story, the characters, and the production. (This contains interviews taken from several different press junkets.) "Q&A With the Director & the Cast" (22 minutes) has Hooper, Pearce, Carter, Claire Bloom, and Colin Firth at a screening in California. The discussion here is quite good and we get a good feel for the thought processes behind the film. We get to hear two "Speeches from the real King George VI" in an audio-only segment. "The Real Lionel Logue" (11 minutes) is an interview with Logue's grandson, Mark, who talks about journals which he found. Oddly, there are no photos of the real Logue shown here.