King Richard Review

I must confess, this was a strange film viewing experience for me. When I first saw the trailer for the film, I had no interest in watching as it seemed low quality Oscar-bait and the basic premise angered me. Why anger, you ask? Because I saw it as taking one of the most astounding sports personalities ever, an athlete who has broken down barriers and set new records, a role model for females everywhere, and making her story all about a man. So it was with this mindset that I reluctantly sat down to watch the movie now that it has been nominated in several of the main categories. Not exactly an unbiased starting position...

Unfortunately, the film did little to allay my fears and proved itself to be movie-making by recipe: make sure you have the right ingredients, mix them just so and voilà, the Oscars come sniffing! Will Smith is competent in his portrayal of Richard Williams but nothing more, his middle-of-the-road interpretation of the man leaving us wondering whether we're meant to root for or despise him. At no point was he able to elicit empathy for the titular character, making it very difficult to care one way or the other; not, in my opinion, nomination-worthy acting. Aunjanue Ellis, on the other hand, brought fire, intensity, and humanity to a role that was written as little more than a cliché, and for that I salute her. Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton were captivating as Venus and Serena respectively, making me wish the film was centred on them instead.

Watching the movie, I found myself more and more appalled at its nomination for original screenplay as the dialogue is lacklustre with moments of inaneness, and the characters one-dimensional. The directing was again as if following an instruction manual, observing all the tropes that make a grandiose tear-jerker award magnet, but failing to deliver through a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a film like that tick: the emotion. There was no emotional grounding to the story, no way into the characters' inner lives or contradicting actions, leaving me unmoved and uncaring. The one true positive is Beyoncé's nominated song, that has all the life and intensity and appeal that the film lacks.

In the end credits, both Venus and Serena Williams are listed as producers, meaning this film must undoubtedly have their stamp of approval. Perhaps this is their way of thanking a father who helped them become the remarkable players they are? And if so, my hat is off to them, it is a moving gesture. But as a viewer, I left feeling even angrier than when I arrived and desperately wanting a good biopic on the sisters, showing us their road to tennis stardom, rather than a film hero-worshiping what seems to me to be an opportunistic father who has spent most of their lives living off his daughters' success.

All in all, not an enjoyable movie for me, though perhaps many will disagree.

Conclusion: Nuh-uh [what's this?]

King Richard came out in 2021.