Review of King Richard (2021) by Jluis_001 — 20 Nov 2021

The title itself tells you specifically who this story will be centered around. It's not something I have a problem with, because after all, what Richard Williams did is completely inspirational. He aspired to greatness for his daughters, even as difficult and strict as it can be said that his upbringing was for them.

It's more than clear that the person who created you, who molded you, is a fundamental part of who you are, and it's even more noticeable when you have become such a great, monumental figure in sports as Venus and Serena Williams are.

Especially when that person is your own father. Your own blood. And King Richard is a film that is dedicated to demonstrating that for most of its running time thanks to that fictional idealism that cinema indulges in real stories like this one. But even in the face of how uplifting and moving its story can be, and even with the outstanding performance of a Will Smith who is clearly aiming for an academy award nomination, both Venus and Serena are the real figures here, and when their journey is just beginning, this overlong film comes to an end.

It gives the feeling of a cliffhanger for a sequel that I want to believe will never happen. Don't get me wrong, I liked this film, even with all the emotional manipulation that goes with it, but personally, I think the ones who should have gotten all the attention are the two women who have already etched their names in the history of their sport, and sports in general, not necessarily the man who drove them to achieve for success.

Not that he wasn't important, but the biopic that really should have been produced, should have been about them.