KING RICHARD
2021 | Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green | 145 Minutes
"You just went toe to toe for two hours with the best player in the world and you made her knees shake and you did it with grace."
Struggling to provide for his family, Richard Williams is an ambitious, fiercely protective father who faces true adversity while cultivating the world-class talent of his young daughters, Venus and Serena Williams. With stubborn determination to maximize the success of his daughters but without compromising their well-being, Williams faces off against street gangs, racist promotors, the ambition of his daughters, and his own ego.
Reinaldo Marcus Green's King Richard is centered on the formative years for tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams before the sisters became champions, the film credits the origins of their success to the struggles of the outspoken Richard Williams. Williams is portrayed as a man with an uncompromising plan for his daughters, a plan that courts controversy and often runs counter to the expectations of his daughters' coaches, sports analysts, and his family, most stirringly including the Williams sisters themselves. The picture delicately balances portraying Williams' sometimes psychologically cruel training methods and his controlling nature with the genuine love and affection he has for his family. He is unquestionably portrayed as the hero of this story, protecting his daughters from the negative influences of the street gangs in their Compton neighborhood, from the inherent racism of potential financial backers, from the pitfalls of early stardom, and from their own ambition. Perhaps King Richard's most significant flaw is in how it chooses not to address Richard Williams' other flaws as a person in more meaningful ways, most tellingly how his family from a previous marriage is only mentioned in brief in one scene.
Green balances dramatic moments and thrilling tennis match sequences to create a thoroughly engaging experience. There a persistent looming tension in the early moments of the film when Williams runs tennis drills with his daughters at the park as street gang members constantly threaten the family with violence. A scene in which Williams is viciously beaten by the gang leader is particularly difficult to watch. Conversely, watching the Williams Sisters triumph on the tennis court is extremely gratifying. The tennis action is captured and presented with a sense of immediacy, and the emotional tension in the film's climatic match is palpable.
Will Smith adds another powerful nuanced performance to his filmography portraying eccentric father and tennis coach Richard Williams. Smith has never been better, carrying the entire film with his trademark charisma and versatility. As Brandy Price, Aunjanue Ellis is convincing as the loving and frustrated wife and mother, playing the complex role naturally. Saniyya Sidney is captivating as young Venus Williams, exceptionally believable as the bright and fiercely competitive future tennis star, while Demi Singleton also gives a stand out performance as Serena Williams, conveying well how she channels her feelings of being seemingly neglected into becoming a powerful competitor in her own right. The film also features fantastic work from Tony Goldwyn as wary veteran coach Paul Cohen, and Jon Bernthal essentially playing a human positive reinforcement machine as coach Rick Macci.
King Richard is properly inspirational if somewhat repetitive at points. The film and its headlining star are at their best when addressing racism and classism head-on. While it is as flawed as most biopics, the film is a genuinely crowd-pleasing family drama that doubles as a rousing sports film.
FRAGMENTS
- The screenplay for King Richard written by Zach Baylin was featured in the 2018 Black List
- Will Smith divided his $40 million earnings from the film amongst his co-stars as bonuses for them
- It's incredibly entertaining to see Jon Bernthal, perhaps known best for portraying morally conflicted tough guys, take on such a positive and cuddly role and do it so well
