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“King Richard” is a hybrid of a sports film and a biopic. As a result, it hits both the high points and the low points of both genres. This can be interpreted as either an invitation or a warning, depending on your point of view. Fans of the preternaturally talented tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams will flock to this origin story, which will be released in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time as the film’s theatrical release. In terms of characterization and likability, however, the film’s title and the fact that Williams is an executive producer should give you a good indication as to how complicated the subject will be and how far the needle will be moved up the likability scale. According to the evidence, only directors Bob Fosse and Richard Pryor were willing to take the risk of making their semi-autobiographical, cinematic alter egos potentially irredeemable at the expense of the comfort of their audiences. Richard Williams does some incredibly infuriating things in this film, but the film never once implies that he was ever in the wrong. As a result, a film that occasionally comes at you from unexpectedly askew angles becomes softer around the edges.
When Mario van Peebles decided to portray his father, Melvin, in the film “Baadasssss,” the elder van Peebles cautioned him not to “make me too pleasant.” This is the philosophy that Will Smith adheres to, despite the fact that “King Richard” keeps pulling him back from the edge of destruction. The day before my screening, I went to see Smith perform live at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, as part of his book tour. He read from his book, performed songs, and had a conversation with Spike Lee during the event. Smith has spoken about how he uses humor as a defense mechanism, or as an action to keep his fears hidden from others. As I watched his performance, his words came back to me: Richard Williams is always on, throwing asides and comments that are often hilarious and mean enough to be in a Madea movie. A larger-than-life personality is required to play him, and we are looking for someone who can successfully overpower your defenses through charm.
Even though Smith’s characterization is overblown, his best moments occur when he is forced to drop his mask in a threatening situation. In his role as an unyielding believer who refuses to acknowledge anything other than his own point of view, he is hauntingly effective when forced to remain silent. Although Smith has received two Academy Award nominations, he rarely receives recognition for his dramatic acting abilities. It is the wounded quality of the scenes in which Williams is shown to be vulnerable that lingers long after the moment has passed. No matter whether he’s surveying the damage done to his body after his umpteenth violent encounter with neighborhood riff-raff (“Daddy got beat up again!” one of his children exclaims), or realizing that there’s no way he can help his daughter get out of her own head on the court, Smith excels at revealing the wounded man beneath all the bravado. It’s the screenplay, written by Zach Baylin, that keeps threatening to detract from his otherwise excellent performance. There is a palpable sense of uneasiness in this scene that cannot be ignored. The actor is willing to be truly unlikable when the situation calls for it, but the film continues to render him unimpeachable throughout.
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If you’re familiar with the story, you’re probably aware that Richard Williams, a Compton resident and a visionary thinker, drafted a “plan” for his daughters Venus and Serena before they were even born. According to the plan, the duo would go on to become huge tennis stars of the world. As a result, even though it’s pouring outside, Williams pushes the older Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and her younger sister/best friend Serena (Demi Singleton) through their practices until they reach perfection. The fact that he has two Michael Jordans is amusing to watch him rub a former detractor’s face in Venus’ success once she starts winning is amusing to watch. Similarly, if a man presented you with a brochure outlining his children’s future and demanded that you accept it without question, you would most likely agree with these early critics. However, this film is also guilty of the same transgression. We don’t even get a full explanation of the overall strategy, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think Venus and Serena were the first two Black women to compete in the sport. There is no mention of Althea Gibson’s legacy anywhere in the book. I was curious if her professional tennis career had any influence on Richard’s decision to pursue a tennis career.
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Because Richard is unable to reproduce through osmosis, “King Richard” reminds us that the Williams sisters had a mother, Brandy, who is played by Aunjanue Ellis, who is always a pleasure to watch. In this film, Ellis is somewhat confined to the role of the “supportive spouse who puts up with a lot of crap while also pursuing her own ambitions,” but she has two standout scenes that remind me why she’s one of my favorite actors currently on the scene. It is when she has finally had enough of her husband’s self-martyrdom that she experiences the larger and more impressive of the two. Brandy detects filth in her husband, and the chemistry between the fiery Ellis and the backpedaling yet still proud Smith makes for one of the best scenes of the year. This is a more condensed version of Viola Davis’ masterful scene opposite Denzel Washington in “Fences”—Brandy and Rose are saying the same thing, fighting and defeating the same type of adversary—but it’s just as powerful and unforgettable.
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Reinaldo is the director. Marcus Green is significantly more effective at directing dramatic scenes than he is at directing tennis sequences. Because of this, they have a flat, repetitive quality to them that does not reflect how exciting they actually were in real life. Due to the fact that this must conclude with the big game, as all sports movies must, this could have been a major flaw. Nevertheless, because “King Richard” is astute enough to recognize that its strength lies in its acting, the film cleverly alternates between the play action and Richard and Brandy’s reactions and internal monologues. It’s also worth noting that Green does a better job of conveying the intensity and danger of the threats in Compton (a scene of shocking violence is handled superbly by the director and Smith) than he does of depicting the inherent racism that exists in the lily-White clubs where Venus and Serena compete. They come across as too gentle and lighthearted, despite Jon Bernthal’s excellent performance as coach Rick Macci, who is filled with frustration.
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Much will be made of Smith’s performance, which is excellent, and I hope Ellis receives all of the recognition she deserves for her work. However, Sidney and Singleton should be commended as well for their outstanding performances as Venus and Serena. As the rising star and the budding star who has been temporarily trapped in her shadow, both have difficult roles to play in this film. Furthermore, unlike Will Smith, they are required to impersonate two of the greatest athletes to ever compete in any sport. They should be included in the discussion because it is the overall quality of the acting that ultimately saves “King Richard.” A half-star bonus is awarded, resulting in a “thumbs up” rating for this review. At 140 minutes, the film is approximately half an hour too long, but the performances by everyone onscreen made the extra time far more tolerable than it otherwise would have been.
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Beginning on November 19th, “King Richard” will be available in theaters and on HBO Max streaming.
For more personality quizzes check this: Eternals Quiz.
