Somewhere along the line this strange and moody exercise in acting slipped from bathos into pathos. Individual performances saved the rather strained plot line from becoming a complete washout, and, although the mid-section tended to drag, THE KING IS ALIVE evolves into a moving and poignant film. At face value, a disparate group of tourist stranded in the Namibian desert who decide to stage Shakespeare's King Lear to take their mind off of their dilemma sounds more like farce than drama. This film demonstrates how Dogme 95 avant-garde film making can elevate an absurd or ridiculous premise to something which might be considered a work of art.
Review of The King Is Alive
