King Richard review: “Offers a surprisingly warts-and-all depiction of a man who is often his worst enemy”

King Richard 4 stars STARRING Will Smith, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton RATING M IN CINEMAS Now Depending on how much you value the Golden Globes – and there’s a solid argument the answer to that question should be “not very much” – King Richard could be Will Smith’s best chance at winning an Academy Award. An Oscar has thus far eluded Smith, despite twice receiving a nomination, but things are trending in the right direction after he won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama film this week. Over the past decade, eight out of 10 actors who’ve won that gong went on to win best actor at the Academy Awards, and, after subjecting us to a number of average Oscar bait flicks in that time (Collateral Beauty could be used to torture inmates at Guantanamo Bay), Smith’s big moment looks to have come. And he deserves every accolade coming his way for his portrayal of Richard Williams, father and career architect of sporting icons Venus and Serena. Architect is the appropriate word, given the patriarch of the Williams family set about building two tennis champions from scratch, literally writing a 78-page manifesto BEFORE either daughter was born. Reinaldo Marcus Green’s biopic chronicles all of this, paying particular attention to the career path of Venus, the older of the two girls, up to when she played her first tournament as a professional at age 14. Made with the co-operation of the family, King Richard offers a surprisingly warts-and-all depiction of a man who is often his worst enemy, as he pursues a dream with a level of obsession that is both self-destructive and alienates those around him. Smith does exceedingly well at bringing this complicated character to life, imbuing Richard with pride — often far too much of it — but also humanity, and, of course, a deep love for his family. Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton shine, too, as Venus and Serena respectively, and are fabulous in the tennis sequences. Sport is notoriously difficult to film in a way that is engaging and realistic, yet Green, with the help of Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood), has managed to pull it off. At times so unlikely it’ll have you fact-checking on Google, the story of the Williams sisters’ rise from the rough LA neighbourhood of Compton to the pinnacle of their sport is undeniably inspirational. By comparison, Smith winning an Oscar is a relatively paltry achievement, but it’d be fitting reward for what could be the finest performance of his career.

King Richard review: “Offers a surprisingly warts-and-all depiction of a man who is often his worst enemy”

Subscribe today.

Everyday Digital

Weekend Papers + Everyday Digital