King Richard

Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Kevin Dunn, Dylan McDermott
Directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Sport
2021

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Richard Williams (Will Smith) is determined that his daughters, Venus and Serena, will be the greatest tennis players in history.

Review:

Tim: I ended up really enjoying King Richard. It seemed a little strange to take the most famous women's tennis players (and arguably, the most famous of any tennis players) and then make a movie about their dad. It seemed like Venus and/or Serena were more deserving of a biopic. However, Reinaldo Marcus Green's film is exceptional and by the end of the movie, I was sold on the story he was trying to tell. I certainly believe this is one of the best movies of 2021.

Now, I knew the broad strokes of the Venus and Serena Williams story. I didn't know all the details. This film does a good job of filling in the details of their early life and tennis career. What helps separate this movie from other biopics is that it wasn't just a recitation of the facts, or watching as characters move from one event to the next. Green's film is entertaining. It builds a sense of momentum. It allows room for the characters to breath and develop so that you actually begin to care about the characters as depicted on screen. We know where Venus and Serena will end up, but this movie makes the journey fun. This is greatly helped out by the strong cast, but Green deserves a ton of credit for this, too. What makes this movie special isn't just the strong performances, it's the way that Green tells this story. Truth be told, King Richard is probably a bit too long- 2 hours and 24 minutes for a biopic about sports legends' dad feels like a lot. To Green's credit, he keeps the movie moving quickly enough that the run time ends up feeling mostly appropriate.

The cast is certainly a big draw, though. I loved Will Smith in the lead role. Smith seems to have been in the news more over the last few years due to awkwardness about his family, verses anything work related. Truth be told, I think I started to forget how talented Smith is and what he's able to do when he really focuses. Smith's performance here is mesmerizing- he completely disappears into Richard Williams. It's one of Smith's greatest performances and it would be an outrage if he wasn't nominated for an Academy Award. Smith's performance (and the film) isn't out to make Richard a hero. Yes, he is given credit for what he led his daughters to achieve, but he often comes across as difficult, obstinate, obsessed, and sometimes selfish. I appreciated this attempt to not just glorify this person, but to show different sides to him. I walked away impressed by the character, but I wouldn't say I especially liked him. That's a testament to the film trying to show the complexity of this character. Smith is incredible in the role, bringing out his mannerisms- from his walk, how he uses his eyes to communicate, the little smirk he has on his face. It's a wonderful performance.

Aunjanue Ellis gives a strong supporting performance, too. This isn't her movie like it is Smith's, but she adds a lot with her limited screen time. I was a big fan of what Saniyya Sidney did on The Passage and it was great seeing her here. She's even stronger in this film and her performance suggests even bigger things will come for her. I loved Jon Bernthal's performance. It might be easy to overlook what he does for this film, but he significantly contributes to the film and helps make it great. From his exasperation, to his faith in the Williams sisters, he does so much to bring this character to life. Tony Goldwyn adds a nice supporting performance, and it's fun to see Kevin Dunn and Dylan McDermott in small roles. Demi Singleton does some nice work as Serena, although the movie does tend to focus more on Venus as it progresses. As a whole, I really enjoyed the cast. Yes, this is definitely Smith's movie, but the supporting cast makes this more than it otherwise would have been.

The story of Richard Williams and what he was able to do with his wife for his daughters is an amazing one. It's inspirational and for more than just tennis. Tennis was the vehicle, but Richard and Brandy were determined for their children to have more than they did. Every parent wants a better life for their children, but they did so much more. It's not just the written plan, it's the unrelenting focus for years that helped drive their children to superstardom. I still think a Venus and/or Serena biopic would be great, but I understand why this story wanted to focus on Richard. His story is bigger than just his daughters.

King Richard is a beautiful movie. It's funny, entertaining, inspirational, and informative. It's a great film, a biopic that tells us about the lives of these people but hits on deeper themes that cause us to reflect upon our own lives. Green showed a lot of promise with Monsters and Men (as well as his short film, Stop). This represents a massive leap forward for him. He certainly seems like a director we'll need to watch. Regardless of what he does next, he created something truly great here.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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