Review of King Richard (2021) by Markhreviews — 28 Mar 2022

"King Richard is a workmanlike, formulaic, feel-good sports drama. That's regrettable, because it could have been so much more.

The story describes the early development of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. Most of the action takes place in the years immediately preceding Venus’ professional debut in October, 1994, at the age of fourteen. But rather than focus on these obvious subjects, the film centers on Richard Williams, their father, coach, protector and generally omnipresent figure. For those who have followed the professional careers of the Williams sisters, Richard has always been an enigmatic figure. His coaching style was unorthodox. His talent for self-promotion (sometimes on behalf of his daughters, sometimes not) was legendary. His conflicts with the tennis establishment over slights real and imagined were similarly well-known.

It’s regrettable that this film never fully explores its fascinatingly complex central character. The roles of Venus and Serena as executive producers of this movie may have contributed to this sanitized approach that, as several critics rightly suggest, borders on hagiography. Richard (Will Smith) is consistently portrayed as an admirable figure fiercely protective of all five of his daughters as they are growing up in Compton, a Los Angeles neighborhood that’s still among the ten most dangerous cities in the country. He is equally deeply involved in the development of Venus and Serena into elite tennis players and in ensuring they are respectfully treated in their early business deals.

What’s missing is even minimal acknowledgement of Richard’s dark side. For example, the fact that Richard fathered and abandoned the five children he had with his first wife receives only a glancing blow in the best scene of the film. That he and Oracene divorced eight years after Venus’ pro debut doesn’t merit comment in the large collection of vanity cards at the end of the film. His third marriage to a woman one year older than Venus goes similarly unremarked.

Despite these reservations, the cast makes this movie worth recommending. Many pundits project a Best Actor Oscar for Will Smith for his efforts here. For my money, Smith’s ability to portray limitless self-absorption is more art imitating life than an Oscar-worthy exploration of new territory. That said, the rest of the cast is excellent.