For those who have watched "The Dig" (2021), comparison of "The Lost King" with that picture is inevitable. They are both true events, significant events in the archaeological world. The discovery in both cases are not just historical, but historic, setting the record straight for certain misconceptions. I wouldn't belabour "The Dig" but would highly recommend it. "The Lost King" is about finding the remains of Richard III who had been viewed as a usurper, until the discovery strongly suggests otherwise. Those in power positions often display two traits: penchant for claiming credit (more often than not undeserved) and not wanting to rock the boat. It's the resilient effort of the protagonist in this story that finally achieves the reinstatement of Richard III as a legitimate English monarch.
Portrayed by Sally Hawkins, with contained yet clearly palpable passion, Philippa Langley our protagonist is first introduced as a divorcee co-parenting two children on friendly terms with ex-husband John Langley (Steve Coogan). The story really begins with the famous soliloquy line "Now is the winter of our discontent" spoken by Richard III in Shakespeare's play where he is portrayed as a usurper. While the children are duly receiving their education in the audience, Philippa seems mesmerised by the good performance delivered by the actor on stage.
The next significant scene sees Philippa in her first meeting at the Richard III Society. Looking at her, one member quips "You seem normal". It does not take that long for her to attain empathy with the group, their "common ground against falsehood". The rest is history. Or, more precisely, rewriting history. It is a story well worth telling and the movie tells it well.
I am not going into the details of how Philippa's quest is dramatized. The addition of the family details does make the movie feel more solid. And the feeling-good element of the reconciliation between Philippa and John is welcomed. However, there are mixed feelings, from critics, about Philippa's Richard III hallucination. The motif of the lost king, quite well portrayed by Harry Lloyd who appears as the actor we first see, is overworked to some extent. Even husband John exclaims in frustration "I am cockaded by a ghost". The eventual vindication of Richard III is not shown in the body of the movie, put as a text-on-screen postscript. In the movie, Philippa finds Richard, one last time, at his grave where she is visiting, when she is a little unhappy that his legitimacy is still not fully restored. With "You know the truth; nothing else matters", he sets her free and disappear henceforth from her visions.
With over 60 acting credits under her belt, Sally Hawkins was first recognized in Golden Globes with the Best Lead Actress award in the Comedy/Musical category, for Happy Go Lucky (2009). While she was established as a first-rate comedy actor, she displays her talents in a variety of off-the-main-stream roles, most notably in "The shape of water" (2017) and more recently in a significant support role in "Spencer" (2021) in which Diana is portrayed by Kristen Stewart. "The lost king" is another solid demonstration of Hawkins's consistently fine performances.
Portrayed by Sally Hawkins, with contained yet clearly palpable passion, Philippa Langley our protagonist is first introduced as a divorcee co-parenting two children on friendly terms with ex-husband John Langley (Steve Coogan). The story really begins with the famous soliloquy line "Now is the winter of our discontent" spoken by Richard III in Shakespeare's play where he is portrayed as a usurper. While the children are duly receiving their education in the audience, Philippa seems mesmerised by the good performance delivered by the actor on stage.
The next significant scene sees Philippa in her first meeting at the Richard III Society. Looking at her, one member quips "You seem normal". It does not take that long for her to attain empathy with the group, their "common ground against falsehood". The rest is history. Or, more precisely, rewriting history. It is a story well worth telling and the movie tells it well.
I am not going into the details of how Philippa's quest is dramatized. The addition of the family details does make the movie feel more solid. And the feeling-good element of the reconciliation between Philippa and John is welcomed. However, there are mixed feelings, from critics, about Philippa's Richard III hallucination. The motif of the lost king, quite well portrayed by Harry Lloyd who appears as the actor we first see, is overworked to some extent. Even husband John exclaims in frustration "I am cockaded by a ghost". The eventual vindication of Richard III is not shown in the body of the movie, put as a text-on-screen postscript. In the movie, Philippa finds Richard, one last time, at his grave where she is visiting, when she is a little unhappy that his legitimacy is still not fully restored. With "You know the truth; nothing else matters", he sets her free and disappear henceforth from her visions.
With over 60 acting credits under her belt, Sally Hawkins was first recognized in Golden Globes with the Best Lead Actress award in the Comedy/Musical category, for Happy Go Lucky (2009). While she was established as a first-rate comedy actor, she displays her talents in a variety of off-the-main-stream roles, most notably in "The shape of water" (2017) and more recently in a significant support role in "Spencer" (2021) in which Diana is portrayed by Kristen Stewart. "The lost king" is another solid demonstration of Hawkins's consistently fine performances.