King Richard

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

King Richard is a biopic following Richard Williams as he coaches his daughters, Venus and Serena, to tennis greatness. I think the reason this film succeeds so well is that it's a story about family, albeit an extremely unique one with a lot of heart. Watching the struggle to raise champions at the heart of the Williams' family's motivation immediately makes you think of competition and struggle, but what we see is an exceptional amount of love and humility. This family doesn't break one another in the push to succeed but the drive to get there certainly does wear a toll on these people. You see it in the personal outbursts from Richard, the hurt from Venus when she wants to start tournaments and the marital strain between Richard and Brandy. At the heart of this unique story about working towards success is the protagonist for the film, Richard Williams, an extremely eccentric and engaging character. As a coach and father this man is relentless, coaching his girls at all hours in all conditions; all the while pitching them to potential high profile coaches as part of his 'champion plan'. But while Richard is relentless in his search for coaches and his daughters' success he has a peculiar approach to supporting them; undercutting professional coaches and withdrawing his daughters from junior competitions in order to enhance their education. There is also a powerful story here around adversity in which we see the Williams family face incredible obstacles while living within the ghetto. During this period of poverty we see Richard assaulted by young thugs, his daughters harassed and Richard himself almost descend into a violent act before witnessing a brutal drive-by. It's a horrible glimpse into poverty and a very real reminder of that knife edge this family lived on before their success. I found the perspective of looking at the rise of Venus and Serena through this unique period of their lives in which they were simultaneously being raised and coached by their father and mother was the perfect way to present the Williams' story. There is a visual presentation for those tennis sequences that are just unbeatable, you feel the span of the court and both the power and pressure behind each shot. The score for the film is very poignant, reflecting on those moments of struggle and heralding the moments of triumph in the success of the family; the soundtrack has some American classics that showcase the journey this family goes on throughout the feature.

 

Aunjanue Ellis, who played Oracene 'Brandy' Williams, is an absolute powerhouse of a performer who has multiple scenes where she matches and even surpasses Smith; Ellis crafts a woman who is a rock for her children and a fierce defender of them too. Jon Bernthal, who played Rick Macci, really gives something here that I don't feel we see from him often; Bernthal presents a very charismatic individual who really struggles with having his sense of power usurped by Smith's role. Saniyya Sydney, who played Venus Williams, really plays strongly to the passion and drive of her character; Sydney's depiction of feeling like she failed her family in those final scenes is a very moving moment. Demi Singleton, who played Serena Williams, has such a lovely and likeable bond with her onscreen sister; furthermore I found how Singleton played Serena's jealousy to be subtle and well-portrayed. Tony Goldwyn, who played Paul Cohen, is quite the strict individual with a real sense of mastery that aids his portrayal of a coach; Goldwyn has some nice tension with Smith as the pair clash in small ways during the training scenes. Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew, Daniele Lawson and Layla Crawford, who played Tunde Price, Isha Price and Lyndrea Price respectively, really are crucial in establishing the family dynamic; seeing how these sisters laugh and honestly interact with one another is one of the strengths of the film.

 

However, the best performance came from Will Smith, who played Richard Williams. This is a film very much built around the perspective of this protagonist, a man who is very eccentric and unique. From the beginning Smith crafts an intrepid individual who is exceptionally determined and approaches his goals in a way that is somewhat peculiar. Richard Williams shapes his and his family's lives around his plan for creating champions out of his young daughters. Smith plays to humility in a way that feels like cowardice at times, yet there is a rage there at times that threatens to peek out. Richard Williams desires control and he is unwilling to see the roadmap he has laid out ignored. Yet overall what I think is so fascinating about this performance is that Smith still crafts a family man who seems good, he teaches the value of having fun while playing and being humble in victory. This man is a pillar in his family and he models love almost as much as he pushes for success.

Sometimes biopics can't help but reach a limit because the story isn't unique enough, either in its telling or by the nature of the narrative. Throughout King Richard we see examples of adversity, sports prodigies being pushes for success and a controlling patriarch but these elements aren't anything new. They certainly don't shape into a film that will turn an audience member's perspective inside out and upside down. This is a well told film but those expressive moments of joy and success we get by the end of the feature are something you'll sense coming from the first ten minutes. This is also a film with a very slow pace that takes its time getting to that final match, not every scene is especially necessary and there was room for cuts to be had.

One of the better sports biopics I've seen in recently years, very compelling and openly honest. I would give King Richard an 8/10.