Very quickly, I noticed 'The King'; not for it's imaginative title but because the main character is played by Timothee Chalamet, of whom I am a big fan since his breakout movie 'Call Me By Your Name'.
This adaptation of this story of King Henry V however fails to live up to the superb repertoire of films that Chalamet has been busy starring in. It's immediate reticence to uphold the use of unique Shakespearean language is instantly noticeable, and for a film that lasts nearly two and a half hours, the mild nature of what was a brutal Medieval world to live in makes the film drag along at a snail's pace. Even the welcome intervention of a beheading did little to ease my discomfort.
For those of you who are not familiar with the history of the Monarchy, King Henry V - or Prince Hal to his favourites - was reported to be a feisty fellow. He drank too much, he was promiscuous and frankly, he was an embarrassment to a royal family that had honour and reputation to think of. Hal's Father, King Henry IV (Ben Mendelsohn), despised him to the point where he did not pass down the title of King to him, instead bestowing this honour to his youngest son, Thomas (Dean-Charles Chapman).
I was disappointed in how little the film delved into this side of Prince Hal's life; where the only suggestion that he was a drunken lout was a brief scene at the start. There was next to no reference of Hal's complete ambiguity to the throne and his debauchery, instead choosing to paint Prince Henry of Wales as someone who easily came round to the idea of being a King. The lack of internal strife shown by the King-to-be was tangible and noticeably missing.
Not that Henry had much choice. The death of Thomas propels Henry to the throne whether he liked it or not, with the change in role depicted in a change of hairstyle. The long flowing locks of a childish drunk obsessed with frivolity, replaced with the smarter crop of a man ready for battle.
Except that battle doesn't begin for a lifetime; the scenes fading into each other in a sea of foggy negotiations with the brief interlude of a Game of Thrones-lite battle scene resulting in the occasional bloody end. However, in an era of bloodshed and war, this film meanders around the outskirts. As a viewer, you think the abandonment of Shakespearean language signals the abandonment of niceties, but it never really kicks off as such.
The only saving grace comes in the final half an hour or so, where the action picks up somewhat in the depiction of the Battle of Agincourt. This movie is worth the watch just for the jaw-dropping moment that you realise The Dauphin is played by Robert Pattinson, sporting the wig of Lucius Malfoy and a faux French accent that beggars belief.
In fairness to this film, the cinematography during the Battle of Agincourt is very good and for the first and last time, doesn't shy away from the gore of Medieval war. The fate of Falstaff (Joel Edgerton) also adds an interesting twist. However, it came too late and coupled with Pattinson's frankly ridiculous attempt at a French accent, the seriousness of the situation is somewhat upstaged by unwanted humour.
I also found it a shame that the movie did not explore the relationship between Henry V and Catherine of Valois, an intriguing partnership that was cut off as it was reaching an interesting power battle. However, with over two hours of wrangling and soliloquy, one must be watchful of the time.
'The King' is certainly not one for the purist, but neither is it one for the revolutionary, where I think this film was aimed at. It falls on deaf ears in the void between them; a shame given the excellent cast on show. So while Chalamet continues to set the world alight with terrific cinematic performances, this one won't be remembered as a classic. Although it does provide the perfect stepping stone for his upcoming stage debut...
4/10.
