La visita del rey

In 1939, Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, fifth cousin to current US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is summoned to visit FDR at his country estate in Hyde Park, NY. He initiates a sexual relationship with her--we're told he thrives on the adoring eyes of young women--which surprisingly does not complicate his state of affairs, the fact he's married, or that his mother is a constant factor in his life. Bill Murray plays Roosevelt with wry humor and an unpretentious lift of the chin; crippled at this point by polio, yet unselfconscious about using crutches or by being carried around by an assistant, this Commander in Chief is a steady, low-keyed man so lacking in drama he's almost easy to miss in a crowd. Written by Richard Nelson, ostensibly based upon Suckley's diaries (discovered posthumously), "Hyde Park on Hudson" is austere and tasteful, if pointless. The Roosevelts' lack of a grand showing when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit is faintly amusing (the Royals are initially perplexed or put-off by the mild reception, but come to love FDR for his unadorned hospitality). Lara Linney as Daisy has to grapple with her feelings for a man whose time (and intimacy) must be shared, and occasionally she's too much of a sad anchor on the narrative; still, Linney's underplaying is in tune with director Roger Michell's handling, and she manages to carve out a genuine character without a lot to work with. The film has lovely passages, but is so thin it has to use Daisy's sense of betrayal for narrative tension (which is useless since nothing much is done to satisfy her--or us). Samuel West is wonderful as the stammering King (who livens up an otherwise disastrous formal dinner) and Olivia Williams is a fine Eleanor. **1/2 from ****

Hyde Park on Hudson might just as well have been titled "What happens at Hyde Park Stays at Hyde Park." We'd be glad if it did because, based on this movie, nothing of any real interest really happened there despite the presence of FDR, Eleanor, and The King and Queen of England. Here we have four of the most fascinating people of the 20th century in the same place at a time when storm clouds of Nazi aggression were about to burst and the screenplay focuses on FDR's infidelity and the Queen's concern over a picnic where she will be forced to eat hot dogs.

The movie takes place in the summer of 1939, when Franklin Roosevelt (Bill Murray) was spending some time at his country estate at Hyde Park. The movie deals with two events that took place that summer. First was FDR's intimate relationship with Margaret "Daisy" Stuckley (Laura Linney), his sixth cousin, who would become his mistress. The details of their relationship take place in long shots and quiet passages of dialogue that seem muted as if they simply don't have anything to say to one another. The heat in their attraction comes from their mutual admiration over – get this – his stamp collection. How he used this as an aphrodisiac to attract women is a question the movie doesn't really know how to answer, all you can deduce is that intimacy that grows out of admiration over stamps is about as exciting as it sounds.

The other story deals with a visit to Hyde Park by King George VI (Samuel West) and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Coleman). No British monarch had ever visited America before. They are the pillars of England at a moment when Hitler is about to steamroll over much of Europe, and his Majesty has come west to speak with The President about an alliance that would overthrow the Fuehrer. Yet the movie leaves that important issue around the edges of the movie. Except for one effective scene between The President and The King, in which they both understand that they have physical ailments that they are trying to hide (one is disabled by polio, and the other has a stuttering problem), the movie has no real interest in their relationship. It is understood that America came to Britain's aid and the story of the king and queen is mostly concentrated on their puzzlement with brutish American customs, not just the aforementioned hot dogs, but the picnic and the Native American dancers that will be performing therein.

The story of the king and queen doesn't work because it doesn't move beyond their initial shock over American customs. The story of FDR's infidelity doesn't work because we simply don't care. Part of the problem is Daisy herself. She is our point of view in the film but she's such a blank slate that we have no foothold in her story. Laura Linney is a fine actress but she stands at a distance from FDR, admiring him but hardly saying a word except in narration. That narration, by the way, is so lazy, quiet and tired that it comes off like a particularly dull audio book. Roosevelt's relationship with Eleanor is nearly non-existence. It is known that after The President's relationship with is secretary two decades earlier, she had chosen to be his wife in name only, but where is the tension between them. Olivia Williams occupies the role of Eleanor not as a supporting character but almost as a fixture of the set.

To be fair, the performance by Bill Murray isn't bad. He is an unusual choice for this role and it is good to see him take such a risk, but you never feel that you're in the presence of the 32nd President. Murray is a good actor and he captures some of FDR's wit but he doesn't have the towering presence that made him such an American icon. This is a tiny movie, a meager effort that looks great but doesn't really go anywhere. You don't learn anything and there is no sense that you are getting a behind-the-curtain look at anything but really pretty pictures.

** (of four)

Bill Murray is a comedy LEGEND and an American favorite. Everyone just about has a favorite Bill Murray moment or movie. Whats not to like he has a style that is truly his own and a swagger that draws you despite not being the type that craves the labels. While always being a good actor it's only in the last 15 or so years that people have stood up and taken notice that he can act beyond his comedic roots. With a few roles several years ago that showed this such as Where The Buffalo Roam in which he portrayed Hunter S. Thompson and 1984's The Razor's Edge he primarily stuck with his comedic roots, and why not it had served him so well for so long. in 1998 he made Rushmore with visionary director Wes Anderson and suddenly he wasn't Carl Spackler or Dr. Peter Venkman anymore, he was an actor.

In 2004 he was honored with his first Academy Award nomination for his outstanding performance in Lost In Translation for which he was visibly disappointed that he was the recipient. 9 years later he just may be poised for his second Oscar nomination for his unbelievable portrayal of former president Franklin D. Roosevelt. A most unlikely choice on the film maker behalf, but one that will prove to be a proud choice. The film is Hyde Park On Hudson with whom he co-stars along side the always great Laura Linney.

The story is one of an affair the president had with an extremely distant cousin that carried on for years when he would retreat to Hyde Park, NY of which he was quite fond of doing much of his work from there. During the early stages of the affair a monumental occasion occurred when the new king of England became the first king to visit American soil in history. King George VI affectionately known as Bertie, who was recently portrayed by Academy Award winner Colin Firth in The Kings Speech, was very new to his position and felt it best to visit the US and the president to keep up relations. Over a weekend in Hyde Park the king and president formed a very special relationship that proved vital as WWII would shortly break out a few weeks later.

What is most intriguing was that you had to fine men in positions of great power that at the same time had great flaws, Bertie with his stutter and Roosevelt with his partial paralysis. The film has a fine moment when the two converse late one night and the president clearly seems to instill a great confidence in the king when they both realize many similarities in each other.

Over the same weekend the president's affair with his cousin, Daisy quickly becomes threatened and almost comes to a complete halt.

The film is a fine story and well told but it's not without rhythmic issues and has several slow moments. It is without question carried on the shoulders of Murray's performance. It's not a story that has you drawn in within seconds and has some difficulty keeping you there. It is though a good movie that deserves to be soon for Murray alone.

Murray shows the often unknown and unseen humorous side the president Roosevelt and does it with great perfection. His portrayal is one of the great performances of a historical figure in recent years. The one flaw in his award chances may be he happens to be against another fine actor playing an iconic president in Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln. It's a story every years where a deserving actor comes away empty handed because someone just happens to be on another level.

Murray's day will come at some point. His commitment to taking great roles and being someone different every time only proves that. Unfortunately we will have to wait a little longer. Loveyourmovies.com

In 1939, King George VI (Samuel West) and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) made the trek across the ocean to visit American President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray) at "Hyde Park on Hudson". It was the first trip of its kind and tensions were high. First Lady Eleanor and Mother Roosevelt expected perfection, and the Queen (the eventual Queen Mother) also expected perfection. Roosevelt was in no shape to deliver perfection.

Mostly confined to a wheelchair and married to a woman he did not love, Roosevelt reportedly had affairs. The film focuses on one such affair that started just before the King and Queen of England were to arrive. Margaret "Daisy" Suckley (Laura Linney) is FDR's distant cousin and she is excited for this new turn in her life. She essentially moves into the Hyde Park residence, is convinced of Roosevelt's need for her, and won't accept a lesser role in his life. She's a tough pill to swallow and it's unfortunate that she's the main character of the film.

The best characters of the film are easily Franklin Roosevelt and Bertie (the King). Murray transforms Roosevelt into such a humanized version of the esteemed President that he's always relatable, always likable and always entertaining despite the pedestal that he's on and despite the pedestal that he probably shouldn't be on. West gives a pitch-perfect, award-deserving portrayal of the humble would-be King providing an understanding confidante for the President. Together they provide the film with an undeniable comedic chemistry and also an honest dynamic that gives it a much needed stability as it tries to find its way as a comedic, dramatic biopic.

The other women in the film, notably: First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Olivia Williams), Mrs. Roosevelt and Queen Elizabeth, were portrayed with a likely honest, indifferent, and distant air. That approach allows the film to make no judgements about these three strong, independent and forceful women who have all forged their way into history. We only see them through their equally strong husbands (and son) and we can form our own opinions.

True to its name, "Hyde Park on Hudson" has beautiful cinematography. While it's shot in England rather than New York, it is a suitable substitution, recognizing the source of the inspiration for the name, the architecture and the landscaping of the Presidential family estate in upstate New York.

I don't get all the negativity directed at this film. I thought it was charming and witty. History is rarely so much fun.

The story is simple enough. On the eve of World War II King George VI and his wife journey to the US to see President Roosevelt at his family's Hyde Park retreat hoping to secure American support against Nazi Germany. The FDR we see here isn't the Great Depression/war leader he's a weary man battling polio and trying to find solace in relationships with a distant cousin among others.

Bill Murray gives an amazing performance humanizing the 32nd president an avid stamp collector who during this period when another European war appeared inevitable was more likely to find himself seeking peaceful coexistence between his dominating mother and estranged wife, Eleanor. Laura Linney is Margaret Suckley an unassuming, humble cousin who becomes a regular visitor to the retreat at the time of the royal visit. Samuel West and Olivia Colman are a convincing King and Queen making the first visit in history to the US by a British monarch. I found "Hyde Park On the Hudson" a delightful little film and the 95 minutes flew by leaving me wishing for more.