The King

Normally I only write about current films, the current year (2024) or last year (2023). I'm making an exception. And I think I will continue to make exceptions from here on in; if a film is great, it should end up on the Marquee. Right? So why have I travelled all the way back to 2019 to watch, "The King?" It was at the urging of Sam, my co-worker who has a love for period pieces - knights and horses and all things plague infested and medieval. I dislike period pieces. Any frilly lace or chainmail around someone's neck and I'm out. Westerns are about as far back as I am willing to go. I like contemporary dramas. After months of Sam's prodding I finally relented and watched "Seven Kings Must Die." I turned it off after half an hour. Sam conceded I needed to watch "The Last Kingdom" first. With great reluctance I threw on "The King" next. Bewitched; a one-eyed hag hunchback must have put a spell on me! I loved it. What's it all about? Timothée Chalamet plays Henry V, a reluctant king forced to take the throne after the death of his tyrannical father (Ben Mendelsohn). Henry goes to war against the French King's son (Robert Pattinson) and consults his good friend Falstaff (Joel Edgerton) for advice. That's the movie. It doesn't sound like much but the writing by director David Michôd and Joel Edgerton is so fabulous it completely won me over. I believe Joel Edgerton to be some sort of mad genius. And Timothée Chalamet - the kid has acting chops. However my favourite performance was by Robert Pattinson. Brilliant. Catch this medieval period piece streaming on Netflix. Trust me, Sam knows what he is talking about (wink).