Experiencing a film on the big screen can elicit a range of emotions from moments of tension to heartfelt moments which make you weep and cry, but every so often you’ll see a film that takes you out of the experience and gives you a very surreal moment. The Lost King, for me at least, gave me a very surreal moment. There are a lot of films out there based on true stories set in locations that a lot of people have visited. Leicester has rarely been seen on the big screen and watching The Lost King, which is half set in Leicester, was something I had never experienced before. Recognising places and being sat in a cinema in a city that is being portrayed on the big screen is a very unique sensation. You see what I mean about it feeling surreal?
So let’s talk about the story behind The Lost King. A decade ago, so this is still technically recent history, there was breaking news about the discovery of the remains of one of the United Kingdom’s lost Monarchs, namely King Richard III. He was found buried in a car park in Leicester and the story was one of those hard to believe ones where you knew it would eventually become televised in some way. Instead we have a cinematic approach to the story, despite the fact that this film does not really have a cinematic feel to it. It does feel like something you would find late at night on TV though.
Philippa Langley, the woman who discovered the remains with a team of professionals after researching where he would possibly be buried, is the centre of the story and this is her story! She is constantly talked down to by Academics and shoved to the side and declared crazy numerous times, by people whom she is close to, despite her sound logic. It is very frustrating to see such a bright women stumble upon obstacle after obstacle as she attempts to find the last resting place of a controversial King. Sally Hawkins plays Philippa with grace and warmth, giving her an innocent sensibility but also a fierce determination to find the remains.
The film is also partly fictional and a tad bit dramatised, which is to be expected as this is a story that needs to be padded out, this is told with continuous visits to the local University and to the local Council Offices which just about keeps the story flowing. One of the better aspects of the film is Harry Lloyd, who plays King Richard III as a figment of Philippa’s imagination. He is constantly watching her when she doubts herself or when she uncovers another hurdle. Lloyd’s inclusion makes sense to the story and it is the moments where he interacts with Philippa that makes the story connect more.
The balance between the fictional side of events and the truth of it all is a little uneven, and it is a very slow film as well especially in the lead up to the discovery. There are elements of comedy too but it is usually at the expense of diminishing Philippa’s research or giving her grief when the absurd nature of finding King Richard III reaches tipping point for a select few other characters such as her Husband. Steve Coogan and Mark Addy are welcome additions to the cast but they’re very much sidelined throughout the film and are neglected for the majority of the film.
★★☆☆☆
2/5
The Lost King was probably only made due to the “hard to believe” concept of the true events that the story is based on. Yes, King Richard III’s remains was found in a car park in Leicester and that is pretty common knowledge for us locals. Maybe to an outside audience it would appear to be a bit more engaging but this is a film that doesn’t really need to be a film. There are no side stories and nothing worthy of making this feel cinematic. Its fun and interesting but it might be better to catch this one on a streaming service later down the line.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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