The King

No, this movie is not a sequel to The Queen, and it's peculiar to have both The King and The Queen making their screenings at our theatres at the same time. If given a choice to make, I would recommend The King instead.

This movie reminded me of Woody Allen's Matchpoint. Different stories altogether, but with the general sense and feeling of incredible luck, and evilness amongst man. You can't help but wonder that each one of us have the propensity to do evil, and just what might exactly push our button to commit sin. Lust, revenge, and pride clearly on display in James Marsh's The King.

There are various Kings here, the first which is most obvious, the main protagonist's name Elvis Valderez, played by Gael Garcia Bernal. Recently discharged from the Navy, he's on a trip to Texas to look up the father he never knew, who turned out to be a pastor, clearly already having moved on from his mother. The other notable King here, is pertaining to religion, given that Jesus Christ is acknowledged by Christians to be the King of Kings. I thought William Hurt put up a credible performance as the strict Pastor David Sandow, who now serves a little community, with possibly a happy family befitting a good Christian family.

And perchance it is the ghost from the past, his illegitimate son Elvis, who's now the devil in his midst of them, slowly bringing down the facade and hypocrisy surrounding the Sandows, and exposing them for who they truly are. It's quite a dark movie, and made possible so as the devil has an innocent, possibly angelic face (thanks to Gael), and little do you know the kind of evil that lurks around. Which probably makes it all the more dangerous as the saying goes, you know the person, but not what is in his heart - the motives, if ulterior.

Having to say more will most likely spoil the entire movie. I liked the pacing that the story took, on having it all laid out methodically. At times, you question Elvis' intent, if he's truly aware of the repercussions of what he's doing. You might want to argue that love knows no bounds, but there certainly are some clear markers and blinkers to warn you to stay away, at all costs.

The great acting makes The King extremely watchable. William Hurt, as already mentioned, plays his pained pastor with plenty of skeletons in his closet, to a T. Pell James as his daughter Malerie, brings about a fresh faced ingénue to her role, with innocence written all over. For fans of Little Miss Sunshine, Paul Dano has more lines of dialogue here, and even exercises his vocal cords in singing two songs. His role as son Paul is contrasted against Elvis the illegitimate son - one devoted to God, the other the devil himself, one living his life with a cause, the other living his without any aim, except probably to groove along waiting for acceptance.

There are many releases this week (last count was nine), but The King ranks up there amongst the much watch.

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!

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.

Not for the first time, I thank the British Cable/Satellite channels for making available an excellent film that that I would not have noticed at the cinema over here, in fact I don't believe it gained any significant cinema distribution at all. This is another example of the 'small' US movie (modest budget, even more modest marketing, no A-list stars) that is as good as anything produced anywhere in the world. A young fellow leaves the US navy and seeks out his father, who he's never met. He tracks Dad down to find that he's become a pastor in a born-again Christian church and now has a family of his own. I'll not reveal anything of what follows but will say that what develops is unexpected, shocking and totally gripping. OK, you get a sense that it will all end in tears but this is genuinely powerful stuff. Gael García Bernal is excellent (another Martin Sheen?) as is the rest of the cast. William Hurt, his glamorous male lead days behind him, demonstrates once again that he is an actor of real quality and ability – long may he continue to play similar cameo roles. I mentioned Bernals similarity to the young Martin Sheen previously. The King has some comparisons to 'Badlands' which blew me away all those years ago and I believe that this is as good a film. You need a slightly strong stomach but this is a powerful film for adults and I recommend it highly.

There is a similarity in the idea of search and redemption in both these films In, The King you pretty much know which way things will go until the end. Gael's (brilliant as usual) performance does hold out some hope of redemption, but the film is darker than Le fils where, however, the viewer in an absolutely creepy and uncomfortably (man obsessed with boy) state of suspense and terror till the end. Le fils is a more successful film, I believe, but The King is more thoughtfully written, directed and produced. I just found an odd similarity in the themes of both films. I was deeply touched at the end of Le fils; merely saddened at the end of The King. Tears for the former; "Well, OK....hmm", for the latter. Both definitely worth a watch though.