The King

This film has gained a bit of stick from advance audiences, and the writers faced some hostile questioning following the screening I attended at the London Film Festival. I am frankly bemused as to why. I feel that, at worst, this is a solid and compelling indie flick and, at best, it has some important and lasting points to make about American identity, the nature of sin and the power of faith. My personal opinion is that many of those who see it are offended by either the film's refusal to judge the evil of it's main protagonist (played ever-perfectly by Gael Garcia Bernal), the portrayal of Latino as killer, the perceived failure to criticise the tee-total, creationist excesses of the Bible Belt, or a combination of the above. After all, southern-style Christianity is about as popular as Nazism right now among the arty set. I would prefer to view the film as what it is - an open-ended tragedy refusing to answer its own questions for the audience. I have thought of it frequently in the days since.

This is a nasty piece of work. It's also an impressive piece of work, a sour and cynical dark comedy of a twisted kind of Americana by the young British director James Marsh, making his feature film debut. Elvis, (Gael Garcia Bernal), gets out of the navy and heads off in search of his daddy, the man who sired him and then abandoned him. Daddy, once a sinner, has now reformed and is a preacher with his own church. Bit by bit Elvis worms his way into the family circle, taking no prisoners on the way.

There are moments of shocking, unexpected violence and you are always left with a nasty taste in the mouth but at the same time, you are never quite sure which way the film is going to turn. In some respects it's a bit like Pasolini's "Theorem" but when I spoke to the director at the Dublin Film Festival he said he had never seen "Theorem", (but surely he must have known what it was about?), but did admit to being influenced in part by Dennis Potter's "Brimstone and Treacle".

It's a deeply unpleasant little picture but it is very well directed, (it feels unpolished, unfinished, rough around the edges which is just as it should be), and both Gael Garcia Bernal and William Hurt as his preacher father are superb. Bernal is like some beautiful, rotten fallen angel. Is he seeking redemption or total damnation? Hurt, too long in the doldrums, is on a run at the moment. With this, and Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" under his belt, he is very much back on form. See it certainly, but don't expect to be entertained.

The reviews I read prior to seeing "The King" seemed to fault Gael Garcia Bernal's performance for not being "dark" enough. In most portrayals of this sort, the main character is supposed to chill the viewer to the bone by abruptly revealing his true evil self.

That's not how Gael Garcia Bernal plays the protagonist, Elvis Valderez, a young man with an angelic face who has just finished his duty in the Navy. Elvis never reveals any hidden monster. There's no traumatic moment that takes a good man and pushes him over the abyss into madness. The truth is we've been seeing his true nature throughout the movie but were too mesmerized by his handsome features to believe he could be anything but a sweet, lovable guy.

This movie doesn't offer us expansive scenic vistas like "The Motorcycle Diaries", nor Quentin Tarantino-type hyper violence like "Amores Perros". What it does offer is another great movie performance, a unique character that will stay in our memories.

Gael Garcia Bernal is currently my favorite actor, a fact that works against him every time I see one of his movies, because no one should be able to live up to my inflated expectations. I think Johnny Depp and Brendan Frasier are two of the best actors in movies today, but both of them have appeared in at least one movie I didn't care for. So far, Gael Garcia Bernal has surpassed all my expectations.

An unflinching and at times disturbing look at cause and effect, 'The King' is an oddly satisfying experience to be had. It takes you on a journey, from an unsuspecting state that descends so deeply into evil there's no turning back, but no looking away. With an uncomfortable final act and an equally unsettling performance by Gael Garcia Bernal, 'The King' is elevated to explosive heights. Stirring from beginning to end, this independent film is thought-provoking and a welcome surprise.

After being discharged from the Navy, Elvis (Bernal) sets out on a journey to meet the father he's never known. His father, David Sandow (William Hurt), is a devout Christian and a pastor at a local church in Texas. David rejects his son, for he sees him as an illegitimate son born out of wedlock during a time in his life he's chosen to forget. Elvis is told to stay away from his estranged father and family, but unknowing that Elvis is her half-brother, 16-year-old Malerie gives her virginity to him and embarks on a passionate relationship. But in a small Texas community like the one in Corpus Christi, secrets have their way of rising to the top and bubbling over. And for David and his family, many unexpected and devastating twists of fate await them.

A low-budget effort from British director James Marsh, 'The King' comes through and finds its footing thanks to a compelling script. What's funny about a film like 'The King' is how it doesn't immediately pull you in, but slowly wraps you in its web of brooding darkness. And before you know it, you're smothered by it. It's the kind of film that will find its way into your head long after it's over with. It raises some provoking issues, including the dark side of religion and how one simple choice can have a destructing and devastating chain of results. But the most interesting question remains, can a person be born evil? Was Elvis, who under the Christian perspective was born in sin, a damned child from birth? The viewer watches the character worm his way into the Sandow family, they watch him descend into evil, all until it's too late. No turning back. Can anyone truly 'get right with the Lord'? Are Elvis' intentions pure damnation and destruction, or is he somehow seeking redemption?

'The King' is filled with many unexpected and unpleasant twists. Yet with each turn, Marsh's directorial skills become that much more impressive. It's gritty and edgy, and driven by exceptional performances. For years now Gael Garcia Bernal has been the star of many (excellent) underground Spanish-speaking films, including 'Y Tu Mama Tambien', 'Bad Education, and 'Amores Perros', but perhaps is best known for his powerful role as Che Guevera in 'The Motorcycle Diaries'. And as he begins to enter American cinema (he stars in this year's best film, 'The Science of Sleep', in which he masters English and French in addition to speaking Spanish), his choice of character-driven roles suggests that the independent route may suit him better than the lure of Hollywood and special effects. His boyish charm makes him the perfect choice for the role of Elvis, his charm bleeds through the screen. Even William Hurt's eyebrow raising character, based off of John Mark Byers from Paradise Lost, is powerful and compelling to watch.

'The King' remains one of 2006's best undiscovered gems. It may not be what you'd call entertaining, but you'll find it difficult to look away. Raw and natural, 'The King' is a film told by characters and not by a camera, and sometimes that makes all the difference. James Marsh proves himself to be a capable and very talented director, who takes command of this heavy film and turns it into an experience as engrossing as it is uneasy. It's dark and deeply disturbing, yet very intelligent, and 'The King' indeed takes the crown.

Just saw this film as part of the Seattle International Film Festival and I found it very well made. I go to plenty of festival films and most are truly dreck. This was a nice surprise. While the story goes a couple of steps too far in terms of reality, viewed as old fashioned Greek drama, it was quite exhilarating. The story hits many high points and keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering when characters will catch up with the audience. The acting among the principal players was highly consistent with the characters they set up and were actually believable when circumstances became overly dramatic -- even the daughter's actions made some sense when considering her "place" in the family and how much she was actually marginalized by her father. I would also say that Hurt deserves another nomination after the one he got last year for "The History of Violence" (another true gem). Plus, Bernal gives his most convincing performance yet -- very smart of him NOT to play this character in a very obvious way!