Review of If I Were King

If I Were King is a somewhat familiar story about an unlikely man who gets put into a high position, and he ends up rocking the boat for the other elites. I think the key to making the main character likable is entirely in the casting of Ronald Colman. I don't typically like this type of cock-sure rogue who has an exaggerated careless attitude. Yet, I found myself liking François because Ronald Colman makes him so much fun. There is also something fun in the idea of royalty being shown up by a commoner. I generally found the plot to be a little by-the-numbers and predictable for my taste, but this is an older film, so it might have set some of those precedents for all I know.

I thought it was an interesting choice for Basil Rathbone to play Louis XI as such a weaselly person. He makes for a strange character as he shifts from friend to enemy as the film goes on. I kind of wish Frances Dee was more of a unique or distinct character so I could get more invested in the romance that drives many of the main character's actions. The ending of If I Were King is where it shines the most. I like the way the people unite and get things done that the royals won't bother to deal with themselves. Even though I was losing some interest in the middle of the film, I was hooked again by the end and found it to be somewhat redeeming for a film that I would have called sub-par otherwise.