Theo's 2019 LFF Diary: ‘The King' and ‘Blackbird'

There’s a lot to admire in “The King,” director David Michod’s somewhat loose take on Shakespeare’s ‘Henriad’. From the ever-impressive Timothee Chalamet (once he gets over his early trouble with the British accent) to Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris’ wonderfully low-key performances.

The film follows Chalamet as he transforms from the boozing, wayward Hal, a prince overlooked for the throne by his father, played by the always magnetic Ben Mendelsohn, who upon his entrance into the film could be mistaken for Jeff Bridges’ ‘The Dude’. Thanks to Hal’s own exploits it is Dean-Charles Chapman’s Thomas who has decreed the heir to the English throne, before. Well…Hal is crowned King Henry V.

There is however a definite element of ‘taking the rough with the smooth’ as the film’s first half feels rather clunky, as not only does the film feel like its dawdling through its first act, but Chalamet’s slight accent trouble takes you out of the story for a time.

Speaking of accents, and I’m sure there will be many many takes on Robert Pattinson’s somewhat colorful performance as The Dauphin of France, but for what it’s worth, he nails the accent, and delivers a genuinely frightful performance in one scene, one that showcased how good Pattinson would be as a villain on screen. Although the audible laughs in the screening may not be what Michod was going for.

The film’s ultimate crescendo and battle is undeniably a feast for the senses, especially down to Nicholas Britell’s captivating score, but its action set pieces fail to do anything other than make you want to revisit Miguel Sapochnik’s Game of Thrones masterpiece ‘Battle of the Bastards’ which has surely been used as inspiration here, in fact, one scene (and more specifically one-shot) seem to be taken right out of the GOT playbook.

Long story short, this is another extremely watchable period piece from Netflix that doesn’t always hit the sweet spot, but the moments it does make the experience worthwhile, much like its predecessor on the platform, “Outlaw King”. Maybe Netflix will create their own cinematic ‘Kingverse’ and have Chalamet’s Henry face off against Chris Pine’s Robert Bruce…

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Susan Sarandon shines in the remake of 2014 Danish hit “Silent Heart,” a film that threatens much but ultimately doesn’t deliver on the drama promised.

First things first, this film has an undeniably enticing cast, the likes of legendary names Sam Neil, Susan Sarandon and Lindsay Duncan, alongside Mia Wasikowska, the always tremendous Kate Winslet, and rising stars Bex Taylor Klaus and Ansom Boon.

The film, directed by Roger Michell tackles the tough topic of assisted suicide, mainly through the eye of comedically dark one-liners, many of which do land, props to Boon and Sarandon who’s comedic timing surpass the others on screen.

Sarandon, however, is the undoubted star of the show. She is the films beating heart, as she’s clearly pushing down the fear of dying whilst also being the calmest person in the room without fail, demonstrating serenity when others are panicking.

The overwhelming message of the film is clearly one of choice. So much so that during the film’s climax Sarandon shouts the word multiple times whilst the camera closes in on her face each time, a jarring moment of overkill that feels like you’re having the word stamped on your forehead.

When it’s good it’s great, and it’s no better than when the entire family, including Winslet’s husband Michael (the genius Rainn Wilson), are gathered around the table, as the dialogue zips and stings, almost on a par with Phoebe Waller Bridge’s Fleabag, and its restaurant episode, the undoubted bar for dinner time chat.

Very funny in places but with an emotional narrative that somewhat fails to grab hold of

You. And if you have Sam Neil, you HAVE to use him