After what proved to be a rather controversial post yesterday I’m going to play it safe today and write about the film we went to see last night. The King’s Voice tells the story of King George VI’s battle with a speech impediment and the help he got from a self-taught, Australian speech therapist. It is such a brilliant film.

At its heart is redemption – a life blighted by a stammer faces the ultimate challenge in becoming king at a time when the country is at war and needs his strong leadership. That leadership can only be given through inspiring speech – hence the crisis. Overcoming the impediment and finding his voice would take great courage and much hard work – but more than anything it will take a great deal of humility as the king has to face some deep issues of emotional damage in his life. This he does through the deep friendship that develops between him and his rather brash Australian therapist.

One individual finding the key to unlocking his own authentic voice will probably resonate with many. It may only be January, but if you only see one film this year make it this one.