3 minute read
“King Richard”
AUNJANUE ELLIS, MIKAYLA LASHAE BARTHOLOMEW, WILL SMITH, SANIYYA SIDNEY, DEMI SINGLETON, AND DANIELE LAWSON
MAIN CAST:Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew, Jon Bernthal, Layla Crawford, Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn, Daniele Lawson, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Will Smith CASTING BY:Rich Delia and Avy Kaufman DIRECTED BY: Reinaldo Marcus Green WRITTEN BY: Zach Baylin DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner Bros. Pictures
YOU’VE HEARD OF VENUS AND SERENA
Williams, two of the most powerful tennis players to ever hit the courts. But how much do you really know about the circumstances that got them there?
Fans might be familiar with their Compton, California, upbringing and their years spent volleying balls (rain or shine!) before they caught a break; and they most definitely know about the groundbreaking successes and titles that followed. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green and writer Zach Baylin’s “King Richard” takes it a step further, painting a portrait of the people who are responsible for it all: their parents, Richard and Oracene “Brandy” Williams.
SAG Award nominees Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis star as a mom and dad trying to reverse engineer a better life for their children; it’s a true lesson in the merits of nurture over nature. The two form a forceful pair onscreen, and their performances are buoyed by new faces and seasoned vets alike.
Producer-star Smith leads the ensemble as Richard, turning in some of his best work to date. The character’s tireless commitment to his daughters is awe-inspiring; he plays every beat beautifully, from scheduling strict latenight practices to pitching Venus and Serena to top coaches. He nails Richard’s particular way of speaking, building layers around his legendary showmanship, motivations, and fears. It all makes for a complex portrait of a tenacious Black man who stopped at nothing to build his family’s legacy.
Fresh off her Emmy- and SAG-nominated turn on “Lovecraft Country,” Ellis as the family matriarch continues to prove she can do it all. She shines brightest when she’s working in direct opposition to Smith. Brandy challenges Richard time and time again, but Ellis’ delivery never cuts him down. She merely redirects his attention toward the right thing; she’s the queen to Richard’s king.
Stepping into the shoes of the Williams sisters are Saniyya Sidney as Venus and Demi Singleton as Serena. As the older sibling who’s the first to walk into the spotlight, Sidney’s character is the focal point of the film’s tensions. Despite spanning years and varying stages in Venus’ life, Sidney makes this look like an effortless role to play, conveying both vulnerability and the fierce pride instilled by her parents. As Serena, Singleton makes sure her performance carries on the family resemblance, balancing nerves of steel and precociousness. Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew, Layla Crawford, and Daniele Lawson slot in perfectly to fill out the rest of this seven-person family.
Jon Bernthal, meanwhile, proves exceptional as tennis coach Rick Macci. Often, he acts as the audience’s proxy for the frustration around Richard’s outlandish approach to managing his daughters’ careers—including not allowing them to play in juniors competitions before going pro and pulling them out of practice to go to Disney World. At other times, he’s the comic relief or the tough-love coach, and Bernthal is believable in every mode. The same could be said for the perfectly cast Tony Goldwyn as Venus’ first coach, Paul Cohen.
Exploring weighty themes of Black fatherhood, legacy, and loyalty against the backdrop of high-stakes tennis, “King Richard” is a biopic done right—with the performances to game, set, and match. —BRIANA RODRIGUEZ
WILL SMITH, DEMI SINGLETON, AND SANIYYA SIDNEY
