Many will probably look at “The King’s Speech” and think it’s one of those snobby British art movies, but that of course will say more about its so-called critics than anything else. The story of a man who “bloody well stammers” and works to overcome this affliction that keeps him from completing sentences (let alone a whole speech) sounds more like one of those formula movies where we watch a human being triumph over personal obstacles with the help of a mentor. Then again, not many of those movies are about King George VI, and with this being (sigh) “based on a true story” adds more dramatic heft to this particular story.

Formulaic or not, “The King’s Speech” is a magnificent film that takes what seems like an easy to overcome problem (or so others might think) and turns it into compelling cinema. This is in large part thanks to a wonderful cast that includes Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. There’s nary a single weak performance to be found here, and this may very well be the best acted film of 2010.

Seriously, I bow down to Mr. Firth after watching him here. That he gives a brilliant performance is no surprise as he has had an amazing career to date, but this role in particular seems all the more difficult for anyone to pull off. Mastering the technical part and making the stammering seem utterly believable must have been a job unto itself. How do you get an audience to suspend disbelief and get them to believe you are seriously afflicted with such a seriously irritating impediment when everyone knows you don’t have that problem in real life?

Many actors would probably start off trying to master the stammer to where they are not thinking about it. But with Colin, he digs deep into the role to get at who King George VI is as a person and what has affected him emotionally. All that is prologue to the problem we see him having when he is forced to speak before crowds who expect more from him than he can give. That he gets at the heart of the character and creates such a vivid portrait of a leader we don’t know much about is what makes his performance so damn good. As for the technical aspects of the role, I’m guessing Colin saw that as secondary, but it should go without saying that he perfects the stammer.

Then there’s Geoffrey Rush who also served as one of the film’s producers. As Lionel Logue, the King’s speech therapist, his character serves as the Mr. Myagi of “The King’s Speech.” Lionel gets the King to do a variety of exercises that are physical as well as vocal, but his biggest challenge is in getting George to exorcise the personal problems that affect him and his speech more than anything else. All the tongue twisters and warm ups won’t do a thing until he confronts the emotional scars that he has endured up to this point in life.

Ever since his Oscar winning turn in “Shine,” Geoffrey Rush has been one of the most entertaining actors in movies. I don’t know if it’s his deep voice or his incredibly dry wit, but he’s never boring in any film he’s in. Whether it’s as the Queen’s servant in “Elizabeth” or Jack Sparrow’s foe in the “Pirates Of The Caribbean” movies, Rush has maintained such a fascinating presence in one performance after another. Sometimes all it takes is a look or move from him to get a big response from the audience, and it was a big audience when I saw it at the nearby theater. Seeing him strike a pose in a chair Lionel has no business sitting in is enough to get a laugh.

Now how many great performances has Helena Bonham Carter given? It doesn’t even seem like it’s been all that long since she did “A Room With A View,” and that was made back in 1985! She still glides effortlessly from role to role, and it truly is impossible to pigeonhole her. Whether its “Fight Club” or Tim Burton’s disappointing remake of “Alice In Wonderland,” she has proven capable of playing any role given to her with relative ease. Not many actors can do that it seems these days.

As the King’s wife, Queen Elizabeth, Helena is sublime throughout. She makes Elizabeth both empathetic to her husband’s problems and very strong in the role that is suddenly thrust upon her. Helena s another is powerful in that her work is actually quite subtle, and you can never really catch her acting. Seeing her interact with “commoners” is a delight as she comes off as professional but very polite and never snobby. I keep talking about actors who inhabit roles more than play them and Helena is another name to add to that ever growing list.

There are also a number of other great performances to take note of as well in “The King’s Speech.” I was surprised to see Guy Pearce on board as George’s brother, King Edward VIII, whose passion for another overcomes his royal responsibilities. Derek Jacobi also shows up as Cosmo Gordon Lang, the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose advisements to the King perhaps go a bit further than they need to. I almost didn’t recognize Michael Gambon as King George V, his booming voice covered up by a face that is very un-Dumbledore like. Claire Bloom also is wonderful as Queen Mary, and she’s also another one of those actors who you never catch acting. And then you have Timothy Spall who plays the famous British Prime Minister Winston Churchill almost as well as I did back in the 7^th grade (I played him back in junior high and… well, anyway).

Seriously though, the story does have that setup of that person who asks for help from a “wise old man” and then keeps coming and quitting on him and then comes back again for more lessons. But director Tom Hooper and screenwriter David Seidler keep it from ever becoming a routine film, and their attention to historical accuracy throughout is very commendable. Adding to this all is the chemistry of the actors who interact with each other so well. I also have to say that the process of a man giving a speech to an entire nation has never seemed so exciting before. “The King’s Speech” may not be an action thriller per say, but the last half had me on the edge of my seat.

Director Tom Hooper brilliantly sets up the tension between King George VI and his audience right from the start. As we watch George at a local race, stumbling over a speech he is forced to give, Hooper really puts us in the mindset of someone with a serious problem of speaking in front of others. We are made to feel the way Colin Firth’s character does, and we immediately sympathize with what he is going through. That scene hangs over our heads and the main characters all the way to the end where I guess you could say George has his “Rocky” moment.

“The King’s Speech” is more than deserving of the accolades that are currently being bestowed upon it, and it is clear that there are many more to come. It is easily one of the best and most well made movies of 2010.

**** out of ****

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced the winners of the 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards earlier this evening. The star-studded ceremony was held at the Hollywood Palladium and aired live on VH1. "The Social Network" was named the year's Best Picture and David Fincher won Best Director honors for the film.

Other big winners of the night included Colin Firth, who took Best Actor for his role in "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman, who won Best Actress for her role in "Black Swan." Also honored were Christian Bale with the Best Supporting Actor award and Melissa Leo for Best Supporting Actress both for their work in "The Fighter."

Best Action Movie went to "Inception," while Best Art Direction and Best Editing went to "The Social Network." "The Fighter" was honored with Best Acting Ensemble and Best Original Screenplay honors went to David Seidler for "The King's Speech." Best Young Actor/Actress went to Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit." "Toy Story 3" won Best Animated Feature and Best Comedy went to "Easy A."

Distinguished actor and humanitarian Matt Damon was honored with the fourth annual Joel Siegel Award presented by Emily Blunt and Jimmy Kimmel. The BFCA created this award to honor those in the film community whose actions demonstrate that the greatest value of celebrity is the ability to do good work for others. This award pays homage to beloved "Good Morning America" film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his struggle with cancer in June, 2007.

The 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards also included a special nod to iconic film director Quentin Tarantino, who received the inaugural Critics' Choice Music+Film Award, presented by Tim Roth and Ice Cube. The all new Critics' Choice Music+Film Award was created to honor a single filmmaker who has not only inspired moviegoers with his cinematic storytelling, but has heightened the impact of film through the brilliant use of source and soundtrack music.

Nominees in attendance included: Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Helena Bonham Carter, Robert Duvall, Jesse Eisenberg, Elle Fanning, Colin Firth, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Jon Hamm, Nicole Kidman, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Lawrence, Melissa Leo, Julianne Moore, Mandy Moore, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, Mark Ruffalo, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Spielberg, Jacki Weaver, Hailee Steinfeld and Michelle Williams.

Presenters at the gala included: Hank Azaria, Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Ice Cube, Jesse Eisenberg, Jane Fonda, Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, Rob Huebel, the Kardashians (Khloe, Kim), Jimmy Kimmel, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Joan Rivers, Tim Roth, Paul Scheer, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Spacey, Emma Stone and Sofia Vergara.

The show featured Maroon 5 as this year's house band. In addition to entertaining the audience throughout the awards ceremony, the band gave a special red carpet performance during the live pre-show, and also performed "Stuck in the Middle with You" from the movie "Reservoir Dogs." Keri Hilson also performed "Son of a Preacher Man" during the Critic's Choice Music+Film Award tribute to Quentin Tarantino.

For the show's best moments, acceptance speeches, red carpet photos and interviews and a complete list of winners visit criticschoice.vh1.com.

Welcome to a new edition of Trailer Friday. I hope everyone enjoyed their thanksgiving. Now onto the trailers.

"All Good Things": Official Trailer

Trailer courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Inspired by the most notorious missing person's case in New York history, ALL GOOD THINGS is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s. Produced and directed by Andrew Jarecki (director of the Academy Award-nominated doc Capturing the Friedmans and producer of Catfish), the film was inspired by the story of Robert Durst, scion of the wealthy Durst family. Mr. Durst was suspected but never tried for killing his wife Kathie who disappeared in 1982 and was never found. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella as the powerful patriarch, and captures the emotion and complexion of this real-life unsolved mystery.

"All Good Things" is availible on demand and hits theaters in limited release on December 3rd.

"The Fighter": Official Trailer

Trailer courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media.

Dicky Ecklund (CHRISTIAN BALE) is a former boxing hero that squandered his talents and threw away his shot at greatness. Micky Ward (MARK WAHLBERG), his half brother, is the struggling journeyman boxer who spent his life living in his big brother's shadow. The Fighter is inspired by the true story of two brothers who, against all the odds, come together to train for a historic title bout that will unite their fractured family, redeem their pasts and, at last, give their hard-luck town what it's been waiting for: pride. The story unfolds on the gritty, blue-collar streets of Lowell, Mass, where Dicky was once known as "The Pride of Lowell" having gone the distance with the world champion Sugar Ray Leonard. However, after losing that fight, like the town of Lowell, Dicky's fallen on hard times. His boxing days are behind him and his life has become shattered by drug abuse. Younger brother Micky, meanwhile, has become the family's fighter and fading hope for a champion. But despite all of his work, Micky's career is failing and he loses fight after punishing fight. Dicky and Micky's tougher-than-nails mother, Alice (MELISSA LEO), manages his career and Dicky serves as his highly unreliable trainer. When Micky's latest fight nearly kills him, it looks like it could all be over -- until his iron-willed new girlfriend, Charlene (AMY ADAMS), convinces him to do the unthinkable: split with his family, pursue his own interests and train without his increasingly volatile and criminal brother. Now Micky has the chance of a lifetime as he earns a shot at the World Championship. But when his brother and dysfunctional family reenter his life, they must all reconcile their pasts and become more than just a family in name. With Micky and Dicky reunited, this becomes more than just a fight -- it's an all-out comeback for these brothers, their family, and their city. When it's over, Micky will have become a champion, a hometown legend, and the new "Pride of Lowell". The Fighter is a moving and often humorous drama about fighting for the people you love.

"The Fighter" hits selected cities on December 10th and Nationwide December 17th.

"The King's Speech": Official Trailer

Trailer Courtesy of The Weinstein Company.

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.

The film stars Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pierce, and Geoffrey Rush

"The King's Speech" hit theaters in limited release on November 26th.

It's Retro Trailer time. It's a little different this week, as I highlight a trailer for the complete version of a classic film that recently made it debut for the first time on Blu-Ray this week.

It's "Metropolis". Now for the first time, your able to see the complete movie with the missing footage inserted into film. That's why it's the Retro Trailer of the Week.