The King

Directed by David Michôd, The King follows Timothée Chalamet’s Henry, Prince of Wales as he reluctantly accept the title of King after the death of his far-from-beloved father (Ben Mendelsohn’s Henry IV) – with the narrative subsequently detailing Henry’s efforts at adjusting to his new role and eventual battle with the French. Filmmaker Michôd delivers a slow-moving yet perpetually engrossing endeavor that benefits from its atmospheric visuals and surfeit of captivating performances, with, in terms of the latter, Chalamet’s unexpectedly commanding turn as the sympathetic protagonist matched by a roster of superb periphery players like Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, and Lily-Rose Depp. (Robert Pattinson handily walks away with the title of MVP, however, thanks to his mustache-twirling and completely spellbinding efforts as the movie’s flamboyant villain.) It’s clear, as well, that The King‘s success is due in no small part to a surprisingly accessible narrative that effectively establishes and develops the landscape in which it transpires (ie this is far from the stuffy, arms-length period piece one might’ve anticipated), and there’s little doubt, too, that scripters Michôd and Edgerton have packed the proceedings with a whole host of memorable and endlessly quotable chunks of dialogue (eg Henry refers to a failed assassination attempt as a “timorous slither”) – which, when coupled with a thoroughly satisfying final stretch, cements the picture’s place as an above-average historical epic that earns its 140 minute runtime.

***1/2 out of ****