Directed by Stephen Frears
Starring Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Harry Lloyd and Mark Addy

Whether intentional or not of the filmmakers, the central story that is told in The Lost King simultaneously epitomises how we ordinary and everyday human beings are capable of accomplishing just about anything we truly commit our minds to and how arts can alter the course of our existence. Irrespective of just how much truth is in this film based on a true story, The Lost King is a respectable representation of precisely that.

That ordinary and everyday human being we are acquainted with at the beginning of the film is Philippa Langley (played by the wonderful Sally Hawkins). She works a sales job, is amicably separated from her husband John (Steve Coogan) and has two boys. Her best endeavours at gaining a promotion at work are shut down when she’s overlooked for opportunities by her employer, seemingly because her chronic fatigue condition limits her capabilities. Clearly, Philippa is seeking something more in life, and she’s about to get it from a place she least expected. While attending a theatrical production of Shakespeare’s Richard III, Philippa is instantly stunned that the titular character’s mortal remains are lost in history to this day (it’s 2012) and is completely infatuated by the performance of the lead actor (Harry Lloyd). It inspires not only her next move but becomes her life’s newfound purpose – Philippa simply must piece together Richard III’s truth and disprove existing long-held facts along the way.

Based on the 2013 book The King’s Grave: The Search for Richard III by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones, this light comedic drama is ultimately quite a likeable film, but for too long is lacking some of the same inspiration its lead character possesses. The first half of the film importantly chronicles Philippa’s adventure to becoming an amateur historian, which is fuelled by a local society she becomes a member of and decides to keep it all privy from John. The filmmaking and production are flat, and the story is only mildly engaging. I’d hate to think how much interest would have been lost if it weren’t Sally Hawkins in the lead role. Too much time for my liking is spent on Philippa seeing and having conversations with an imaginary Richard III himself, whose appearance is that of the actor portraying him in the aforementioned play. Perhaps audiences who like the lighter side of this film will enjoy those scenes more than I could, but for me they take the film away from the reality it’s otherwise grounded in and came across as a time-filler. The Lost King is one of those films that saves its best for last and in the end was worth a look.

The Lost King is showing in cinemas across Australia from Boxing Day.

Moviedoc thanks Transmission and Miranda Brown Publicity for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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