The Lost King movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Lost King

This dramatic movie is now available to stream online.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 48 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

I remember hearing about this remarkable story in the news a few years ago. I love movies that are based on true stories about people with an incredible passion for something, overcoming all odds, and succeeding in their endeavors.

In 2012, having been lost for over 500 years, the remains of King Richard III were discovered beneath a car park in Leicester, England. The search had been orchestrated by an amateur historian, Philippa Langley, whose unrelenting research had been met with incomprehension by her friends and family and with skepticism by experts and academics. THE LOST KING is the life-affirming true story of a woman who refused to be ignored and who took on the country’s most eminent historians, forcing them to think again about one of the most controversial kings in England’s history.

THINGS I LIKED:

Sally Hawkins does an excellent job representing an awkward, nervous, yet tenacious woman whose passion for the truth led to an astonishing discovery! She really sinks her teeth into this role.
I always get a kick out of seeing Steve Coogan. For some reason, I just really like him.
The musical score added intrigue, triumph, and an appropriate exclamation mark to this fascinating discovery of King Richard III’s life and death.
At the end of the movie, we get to read screen cards that tell us a little bit about what happened after the scenes we see in the film.
The real Philipa Langley got to appear in the movie! You can see her in the choir during the re-burial of Richard III. She is the blonde with long hair, seated in the choir.
I loved the use of a physical apparition of King Richard III because that’s exactly how Philipa saw him: as a real king.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some Americans might find the British accents hard to understand at times.
The film is a bit slow-moving.
There is still controversy about who actually played a larger role in the discovery of King Richard’s remains: Philippa Langley or the University of Leicester.
Some of the facts of the true story have been stretched a little bit.
The tone of the film needs energy. The story plods along.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored
Talk of a divorce

THEMES:

Being judged unfairly in life and never being able to show one’s true potential
Persistence and tenacity
British history
Critical thinking skills
Emotions vs. facts
Gut feelings
Legacy
Shakespeare
Underdogs
Standing up for yourself

FUNNY LINES:

None worth noting. This is a fairly dramatic movie.

INTERESTING LINES:

“I just don’t like it when people put others down for no reason.” – Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins)
“Dad, Mom talks to herself.” – Raife Langley (Benjamin Scanlan) “Well, we all do.” – John Langley (Steve Coogan)