Direction: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Country: USA
Will Smith gives a tremendous performance in a plainly told biopic documenting the ascension to stardom of tennis-playing sisters Venus and Serena Williams through the eyes of their controversial father and mentor, Richard Williams (Smith).
Scripted by Zach Baylin and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men, 2018; Joe Bell, 2020), King Richard is basically the movie you except to be, although slightly elevated by strong performances. Smith couldn’t be more convincing as an obstinate man, whose commitment in turning two of his five daughters into tennis world champions is no less than extraordinary. The rigid discipline he demands of them is often mistaken for abuse by a neighbor, but that's nothing when compared, for instance, with the story revealed in I, Tonya (2017), where Craig Gillespie limns the toxic relationship between the American skater Tonya Harding and her mother.
In this case, he’s just a super protective father who wants to keep their children out of Compton's rough streets, refusing to make them pro without being kids first. This is an unrelenting man with a plan, who, having never played tennis in his life, was able not only to predict but also to help building a brilliant future for his daughters.
Despite inordinately familiar in tone and structure, this crowd-pleaser is not a bad Hollywood biopic. The family arguments, especially between Richard and his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis), are the most genuine moments of the film, while much of the fun lies in Richard’s personality - how he thinks and reacts to every situation and detail.
King Richard is no classic but rather a respectable entry in the sports movie genre. This stupendous story deserves to be told.
