Contemporary 2021 Selection: King Richard (2021)

 Reinaldo Marcus Green's "King Richard"

"King Richard" is a sports biopic about the father of two tennis champions, Venus and Serena Williams. Green's vision is that of a traditionally shot sports biopic. However, one important thing to note is that the typical framework of a sports biopic consists of a 'downfall' for the protagonists that ultimately challenge them to go the extra mile to make them great. However, the atheletes never take a tumble, and are ultimately ascended to the top with no skirts along the way, other than their destructive father. Even though his plan 'worked,' the protagonist, played brilliantly by Will Smith, is both the hero and villian of this story. 

At times you cheer on his unyielding determination, other times you curse him for his meddeling. It is an interesting examination of the protagonist, as the viewpoint of the film seems to shift between how he is holding the girls back, and how he is ensuring their success. Ultimately, we land on the latter. However, the road to get there is paved with greater complexity than I imagined going into the picture. 

The film on its own is a enjoyable outing. The only aspects bringing it down are the obvious ploys at awards recognition. While Smith is definately deserving of that praise, but the film itself makes itself too available. This comes with the standard 'checking of the boxes' to ensure Oscar noms. Because of these box checkings, the film adds a layer of cheese to the heartwarming story. Overall, the film provides base level enjoyment and a few emotional beats, and is recommended for a family movie night.



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