Will Smith should be up for a best actor nod for his latest film ‘King Richard’ a sport film being released simultaneously on HBO Max and theaters November 19. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men 2018, Joe Bell 2021) showed the world what he could do on a $50 million budget. Based on a true story, King Richard follows Richard Williams, the father of the famous tennis sisters Serena and Venus. He plays a determined, stubborn, egotistical father pushing his two girls to be the best they can be especially growing up in Compton’s hood.
He’s a father who requires straight A’s, church and lots of tennis playing in between as his daughters prefer. They go to sleep on time and practice tennis on any available neighborhood court even if it means Richard getting beat up by gangs and not fighting back. His girls practiced tennis in rain or sun. He was their real coach after all the scouting around he did turning down monetary offers until the girls felt confident and were pitted against some of the best female players of all time. Win or loose it’s how you play the game and they played it well with the proud support of their mother (Aunganus Ellis).
This movie was produced on a small budget but between streaming and theater release, it will make a net profit without a lot of racket (sorry). As a bonus the music score was handed to us by Kris Bowers and includes Beyonce’s “Be Alive”. I try to refrain from using big fancy words in my reviews. I just want to keep it simple. Will Smith’s character was plumped up a bit thanks to facial prostetics to resemble Richard. I know the film is entitled “KING RICHARD” and that’s where the weakness lay. I would liked to have seen more focus on the girls and a little less on daddy, but the damn good feel good bioptic worked and now has to compete with Marvels “Eternals” opening November 5th. However, the later mentioned is fantasy and a lot of computer art work. Tennis is real. Pick and choose sports fans, you have time for both. 4 stars out of 5.
