The King
by James Marsh
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Derek Weston, E. Matthew Buckley, Gael García Bernal, Laura Harring, William HurtDirector: James Marsh
Brand: Velocity
Writer: James Marsh
Producer: Edward R. Pressman
Producer: Gwynneth Lloyd
Producer: James Wilson
Producer: John Schmidt
Producer: Maureen A. Ryan
Writer: Milo Addica
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-10-10
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Model: TF-54715
Studio: Velocity / Thinkfilm
Movie Reviews of The King
Movie Review: An Obsession with Belonging
Summary: 5 Stars
THE KING is a film that is bound to polarize audiences: it is a disturbing, brilliantly written and executed film that viewers will love or hate. This viewer found the work mesmerizingly addictive, one of the more exciting works of cinematic art to come out this year. Writer Milo Addica ('Monster's Ball', 'Birth') and director James Marsh have created an almost impossible story to tell and in selecting a cast of superb actors have managed to make the unthinkable thinkable.
Elvis Valderez (the sensitive and amazingly gifted Gael García Bernal) is being discharged from the Navy as the story begins. He leaves his ship with his duffle bag and his rifle and begins his life as a citizen. After an awkward encounter with a prostitute he sets out on a bus to Corpus Christi, Texas to meet the father he never knew (his mother was a prostitute who got pregnant on duty and gave birth to Elvis, living in poverty with her only child and then dying before Elvis entered the Navy).
He arrives in Corpus Christi, buys an old car, drives to the church where is father Pastor David Sandow (William Hurt in clearly one of his finest roles) leads his tacky congregation in evangelical tones accompanied by his son Paul (Paul Dano 'Little Miss Sunshine', 'The Ballad of Jack and Rose', 'L.I.E.' etc) playing the rock guitar. The pastor's family includes a wife Twyla (Laura Harring) who seems unhappy yet committed to the life of a pastor's wife, and young daughter Malerie (Pell James), a plain Jane whose flat affect reads as one who desires sense and change from her world as a controlled pastor's daughter.
Elvis confronts his father who does not know him and the pastor informs Elvis that his birth came at a time before he found Jesus: he lets Elvis know a bastard son is unwanted. Elvis meets Malerie, courts her, and despite all consequences Malerie and Elvis couple. Elvis works as a pizza delivery boy (his boss Bruno is played by writer Milo Addica), rents a tacky motel room, and devotes his attentions to Malerie (despite the fact that pastor David has forbidden his contact with the family). Malerie becomes pregnant and tells Elvis she loves him - probably the first time anyone has ever confessed love for him. Paul visits Elvis's motel room advising him to stay away from his family and Elvis pulls a knife on Paul accidentally leading to his death. Elvis covers his tracks, disposing of the body in the river. He only confesses his act to Malerie who prays with Elvis for God's forgiveness and lets it settle. The rest of the Sandow family think Paul has run away (he and his father argued over one of Paul's songs not using the Bible as lyrics to a simple tune meant to convince the school and public of Intelligent Design versus Evolution) and place signs throughout the town to recover him. Pastor David watches Elvis mop floors in the pizza parlor, tells him he wants to talk and the two take a ride - where the pastor teaches his 'son' how to shoot with bow and arrow and tells him of his miscreant past. Elvis is invited to dinner at the pastor's home, then to live in Paul's room much against Twyla's feelings, and eventually the pastor introduces Elvis to his congregation as his 'son in sin'. The family doesn't cope and the ending begins to spin out of control as events quite bizarre and lurid take place, seemingly all to the end of Elvis at last feeling he belongs to the father he never knew. To reveal the ending would greatly diminish the emotional impact of the film.
Gael García Bernal handles this role with such emotional dexterity and finesse that at no time does he lose our compassion despite the horrors that engulf his plight. He is simply stunning in every way, an actor of tremendous depth and talent and a screen presence that is utterly commanding. Likewise William Hurt makes this Pastor understandable and despite his exceedingly religious right evangelical manner, he allows us to see motivation for his actions. Pell James, Paul Dano, and Laura Harring complete the quintet of players with polished skill. Director James Marsh knows exactly how to make this tough story work and his pacing and camera and music choices are exactly on target. For this reviewer this film is one that will linger in the mind indelibly. Such a shame that the subject matter may prevent a large audience from seeing one of the best films of the year. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 06
Summary of The King
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