The Bus

26 November 2010 | Metacritic: 84 | IMDB | Trailer

The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

<hr>

On paper, this film sounds unimaginably dull at worst. At best, it sounds like a somewhat entertaining A&E original.

On paper, this movie doesn't have Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, who make the script crackle. Geoffrey Rush, as Lionel, has to be one of the cleverest smart-asses on screen in years. The movie is just fantastic.

Highly, highly recommended.

The Antipodean

I'm really eager to see this. Finally got around to seeing A Single Man and I'm looking forward to see how Firth does. I think it's his turn for the Oscar this year for sure.

JumpCutz

Good to see Tobe Hooper working again.

Giantrobo

Can't wait to see this.

DeFan

I went into this with the lowest possible expectations and loved it. +1 on highly recommended.

Osiris3657

Why am I not surprised that there is very little interest for this movie on this forum

Throwing Copper

I would've liked to see this film if Michael Cera played the lead role, but he did not.

It's probably just a bunch of unattractive people talking.

zekeburger1979

Probably since the movie opens in limited release on Christmas Day and wide release on January 14th?

Osiris3657

That doesn't mean people can't talk about it, especially with the awards buzz this has. Look how many posts other movie threads like True Grit or Black Swan had before they were released.

RichC2

Hooper doesn't have the fanboy love that Aronofsky and the Coen Bros have. That's all there is to it.

obscurelabel

Geoffrey Rush is an awesome actor, I've enjoyed him in everything of his I've seen, even when I've hated the movie. This sounds like a great role for him.

marty888

Absolutely terrific movie - solid screenplay, and some of the best acting you'll see all year. You'd think that this would be a slow-moving (maybe even plodding) stilted film - but it is warm, funny, and one of the fastest hour and fifty minute movies ever! Not to be missed!!!!

BDB

Loved it. Fantastic stuff..

DVD Guy ATL

Yep, saw it today and it is intelligent, entertaining, and moving -- definitely a must-see.

foofighters7

One of my top 3 of the year. Fantastic film with Fantastic performances by Firth and Rush.

Certainly, the Best Actor in a Lead Role (from the films I have seen) has to be Firth this year.

islandclaws

Patman

This film pulls a lot on the heartstrings on many of us who have felt powerless to be heard in our formative years, which turns out to be just as true for George, who would one day become King of England on the verge of WWII.

Colin Firth delivers a solid performance as George, the stammering English Duke of York in the 1930s, afflicted with a speech impediment, always in the shadow of his older brother Edward (Guy Pearce), heir to the throne . Firth was very believable as George with his agitated, halted speech pattern (how does one write a screenplay for a character who stammers for most of the film without going a little cuckoo or perhaps inventing a stammering font for the actor reading for the role?). While not the warmest of humans, who would be after being catered to while being raised in the royal family, his heart appears to be in the right place.

George's wife (Helen Bonham Carter), recognizing the need for George to be a better public speaker, sets up a meeting with Lionel (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian speech therapist, and while it's not the best of first sessions, they would find themselves intertwined when events of the abdicaton of the throne by Edward, and the burgeoning of WWII pushes George into the largest of spotlights in England.

Geoffrey Rush is very charming as Lionel, and will easily muster a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, with Christian Bale being his main competitor, I suspect, in that race. Firth is also a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination. The crux of the film resides squarely on the give-and-take between George and Lionel, and Firth and Rush play off one another quite well, with engaging performances which are entertaining to watch.

In an age where we are becoming frequent texters, and losing, gradually, the proficiency of the simple act of carrying on a conversation in person with others, this film reminds of the importance of speech that can rally a country, and our own voices demand to be heard in spite of impediments along the way.

The only thing that bugged me about the film was the framing of the "talking head" shots, the director felt it was more important to continually use the 1/3 framing motif, so that the heads were located to the side of the frame on many of the shots. Done a few times is fine, but for most of the running time, it got old, fast. Other than that, it's a briskly paced film with enough humor to keep things from falling into a morose tone.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

PopcornTreeCt

I wonder if the Academy (who has undoubtedly been selling out and trying to court young viewers) will give the Best Actor award to a film that the majority of America has never seen or even heard of.

Solid Snake

saw it and loved it. Very good...may personal issue w/ it was that I wanted more of the movie to continue from where it ended. I wanted more of it...to see more of it. Beyond my want for MORE movie cuz I liked it that much..it's a dang good flick.

Throwing Copper

By the time the Academy Awards happen, this will have moved to much of the country based on its reviews etc.

Granted, I can't imagine teenagers ever going to see something like this.

QuikSilver

I had no expectations whatsoever and completely loved this film. Colin Firth does a splendid job. Hope he wins the Oscar.

Nickee

I saw it yesterday and thought it was great - and, yes the theatre was full of old people.

Being a Pride and Prejudice fan, I especially liked the scene where Firth met Jennifer Ehle's character (she played Lionel's wife). Ehle, of course, played Elizabeth with Firth as Darcy.

Also, Anthony Andrews played the PM and years ago he was in a TV film playing King Edward with Jane Seymour playing Wallis Simpson.

Drexl

I really don't think that matters. Many actors and actresses have won for films that were little-seen by the mainstream public.

And about courting the young viewers, it's mainly the producers of the telecast that worry about that. They've done enough by doubling the Best Picture nominees.

Finisher

Firth is a mortal lock for best actor.

Wasn't overly eager to see this movie, but his performance is the real deal and the film does a great job of fleshing character and story out despite an ostensibly thin premise.

Mabuse

Saw this last Saturday, it was pretty good. I'm sure part of the reason this film is doing good box office is that most of the people attending bring along their nurse or hospice care worker. Holy shit, I was the youngest one in there by 30 years.

Anyway, my only question is this one part of the film: It's September 1939, England has just that day declared war on Germany and the film depicts bomb shelters, air raid sirens, people being herded into the bomb shelters, and those tethered dirigible things that were intended to protect against air raids. Were they really doing all that shit on the first day of the war? I was under the impression that didn't come until later. Did I miss something?