THE KING’S SPEECH (12A).

Drama. Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall, Eve Best. Director: Tom Hooper.

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screenwriter Colin Welland famously declared “The British are coming!” in 1982 when he collected his Oscar for Chariots Of Fire.

Nearly 30 years later, his prophecy seems to be coming true.

Slumdog Millionaire was the toast of Tinseltown in 2008, garnering almost every trophy in sight, and now The King’s Speech is poised to do the same, and win Colin Firth a well-deserved Academy Award into the bargain.

He should definitely practise his self-deprecating acceptance speech for this heartrending portrayal of King George VI in Tom Hooper’s majestic comedy drama.

Firth is matched laugh for laugh by Geoffrey Rush in imperious form, and the cream of homegrown acting talent provides illustrious support, including Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill. The King’s Speech is an impeccably crafted chapter from recent British history that charts a remarkable and unlikely friendship between King and teacher – two men from opposite sides of the class divide.

When King George V (Michael Gambon) dies in 1936, eldest son Edward (Guy Pearce) ascends to the throne, but his reign is shrouded in scandal as he continues to romance American divorcee, Wallis Simpson (Eve Best).

Love triumphs over duty and Edward abdicates, forcing youngest son Albert (Colin Firth) into the spotlight.

However, the newly crowned King George VI suffers from a crippling stammer, which renders him unable to deliver public addresses.

With war imminent and the country looking to its King for leadership, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) approaches unconventional Australian-born speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) on the recommendation of a friend.

The King’s Speech is a crowd-pleasing, heart-tugging gem, seen through the eyes of a man who is frightened to say a word for fear of what might – or might not – come out.

David Seidler’s script elegantly dissects the relationship between monarch and commoner, creating memorable exchanges that provide the film with huge laughs and a strong emotional heartbeat.

Firth delivers the performance of his life, battling valiantly against his condition, while Rush is hysterical as the linguist who refuses any concessions to his king.

The finale is guaranteed to have audiences cheering and sobbing with joy.

If The King’s Speech is a sign of things to come in 2011 then it will be a very, very happy new year.