I nearly forgot about my acidic King’s Speech stomach during last night’s Santa Barbara Film Festival Geoffrey Rush tribute. I’ll never be able to watch Quills again, and Rush’s over-acting in the HBO Peter Sellers biopic (which he was too old for) and the Pirates films is a tough thing, but he’s just about perfect in Tom Hooper‘s high-end buddy flick.

Last night reminded that Rush is a wise, cultured and very eloquent fellow. He made an excellent impression all around. And he looks good as Mr. Clean. If he wins the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, as Sasha Stone suspects he might, I will not twitch or shudder in my seat. His Lionel Logue is a first-rate inhabiting.

King’s Speech costars Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter dropped by atr the end of the tribute along with director Tom Hooper,

Rush and moderator Pete Hammond — Monday, 1.31, 7:35 pm.