This is one movie I've only heard good things about and I finally, finally got around to watching it when my dad noticed it was going to be on the movie channel in the afternoon. And I was impressed.
First off, it was a nice change of pace from all the chick flicks and action movies I'd been seeing the past months. As my dad calls it "it's a slow pace sort of movie" and he's not that far off target. However, this allows time for the mind to catch up and process the events happening in the film. And you can see how well written the script is. Second, the acting was astounding. It's always amusing to see British actors working together, since you see a majority of them as cast mates in other films, but they're really great actors. Characters were well developed in every aspect and the chemistry was flawless. If there was ever a great a cast put together, this is one of those movies.
I can't say much about the historical accuracy of the movie since my knowledge of the early days of WW II is limited, but it seems to be accurate on the surface level. I've also heard complaints about the portrayal of King Henry VI and Winston Churchill, but again I have very little knowledge on the background of these two historical figures. I can say that most movies based on actual, historical events always seem to prettify people or their relationships however.
To summarize my impression of this movie, as a Speech Pathology major, I was quite fascinated by this movie since I learned about stuttering. But just as a person, I appreciated this movie on a moral and personal level. I have a soft spot for historical films, if they're not about war generally so this was up my alley from the beginning. But what I really appreciated about this movie was the message. It's about learning to step up despite any flaws or inferiority you feel. You work on your flaws to become a better person when the chances of improving are bleak. And it does take hard work and time to improve and even then, it may not be enough, but the final line is -- you do not give up; you keep moving forward because that's the only way to go.
