Soundtrack Review: The King's Speech (2010)
| Reviewer: JØrn Tillnes |
"There is really nothing new here, but Desplat fans will be happy."
As The Academy Award is coming up I thought I should review the nominees I haven't gotten around to yet. First up is the Alexandre Desplat score to the movie The King's Speech. It's the story of Kinge George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it. Directed by Tom Hooper and starring Colin Firth, it is already getting Oscar-worthy buzz. Desplat is nominated yet again, but it comes as no surprise as it was expected.
Track List
| 1. Lionel and Bertie | ***** |
| 2. The King's Speech | **** |
| 3. My Kingdom, My Rules | **** |
| 4. The King is Dead | *** |
| 5. Memories of Childhood | **** |
| 6. King George VI | ***** |
| 7. The Royal Household | **** |
| 8. Queen Elizabeth | *** |
| 9. Fear and Suspicion | *** |
| 10. The Rehearsal | **** |
| 11. The Threat of War | *** |
Love/Hate
I have a love/hate relationship with Alexandre Desplat. He is of course loved by the academy and seem to get a nomination every year. The 27th of February we will see if this Oscar contender will make it to the top. Back to my love/hate relationship, it seems to me there are two Desplat's. There is Desplat who seems to go nowhere, except boredom like with The Painted Veil and The Special Relationship. Then there's exciting and adventurous Desplat with scores like New Moon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Ok, there are scores that go in between as well.
The King's Speech falls somewhere in between as it is trying to be more than it is. What it is, is nothing spectacular but an elegant score that doesn't try to wow you, nor should it. The movie doesn't require the adventurous, but a very light and minimalistic score. It's not complicated, it's really not.
You know what you get here as 'Lionel and Bertie' starts playing. Nice themes, easy going listening that, if you are a die-hard Desplat fan, will fall in love with. Personally I can't get excited about this, especially in light of the more exciting, a lot more exciting, competitors Inception and How To Train Your Dragon.
Conclusion
There is really nothing new here, but a couple of highlights like 'Lionel and Bertie' and 'King George VI'. Except for that, there's nothing for me personally, but there's a lot for you Desplat fans. For people who can't fall in love with scores like The Painted Veil and numerous other Desplat scores, I'm afraid you will be disappointed by The King's Speech.
CUE RATING: 76.3
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Listen to The King's Speech by Alexandre Desplat below:
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