King Richard has won the coveted Miami International Film Festival GEMS 2021 Audience Award, and it’s no wonder. It’s a crowd-pleaser!
The spirit of the prescient planner, dreamer and barker Richard Williams, the work ethic and faith of his wife Oracene “Brandy” Price coupled with the talent of Venus and Serena molded the Williams sisters into tennis icons. It’s a clear, self-empowering force that’s echoed in this inspiring, Oscar-worthy bio/film.
Once upon a time, in the low-income neighborhood of Compton, Los Angeles, a doting father and smart mother have a keen vision for two of their offspring: “Venus and Serena gonna shake up this world.” A non-traditional path leads them in, out and around the normal white bread, upper-class tennis system, ultimately helping them achieve monumental goals. It’s the American dream personified, and King Richard provides a visual roadmap others can follow.
Smith may gain an Oscar nom for his all-in performance in a very showy role about a goal-achieving yet imperfect man. He’s got the mannerisms and speech pattern just about right, but if you peek behind Richard’s curtain, there’s Will Smith pretending to be Williams. If Delroy Lindo had been cast, his skills, natural physicality and self-assuredness would have made his performance invisible. Ellis is quite endearing as the mom who demands r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Sidney, Singleton and all the other young women who play the sisters at different stages melt into the scenery—it’s like watching kids in real time. Tony Goldwyn’s interpretation of the sisters’ first coach, Paul Cohen, is fine. Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), as their kinetic coach Rick Macci, is far more impressive in a pivotal role: Richard reminds the coach who is king: “You’re like a member of our family. But you work for us!”
Kris Bowers’ (Bridgerton) musical score tweaks emotions in all the right places. The Williams’ home looks lived-in, thanks to production designers William Arnold and Wynn Thomas. Costume designer Sharen Davis (Dreamgirls) gives the family clothes that look like they’re off the rack at TJ Maxx. Clean but not too flashy. All the tech efforts are artfully captured by cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood) and given a steady rhythm by editor Pamela Martin (Battle of the Sexes), which makes this 2h 18m chapter of a bigger life story move quickly.
