The White King *** (2016, Agyness Deyn, Lorenzo Allchurch, Ross Partridge, Jonathan Pryce, Fiona Shaw, Greta Scacchi) – Movie Review

Lorenzo Allchurch plays carefree 12-year-old boy Djata, growing up in an East European countryside commune under a brutal fictitious near-future dictatorship that seizes and imprisons his father (Ross Partridge).

Djata and his mother (Agyness Deyn) are branded traitors, but the boy has somehow to see his father again.

Based on novel by György Dragomán, it is adapted and written by the directors, Alex Helfrecht, Jörg Tittel. It looks like a a labour of love, and the loving care shows. Their slightly mystifying film looks good and is in the interesting category. The film is slightly mystifying because the plot does not run smoothly, but it is not a fatal flaw. There is something attractive and compelling about the film, it is even fairly memorable.

The acting is not terribly subtle but it will do. Allchurch and an underplaying Deyn are good. Jonathan Pryce and Fiona Shaw have an over-acting field day as the boy’s grandparents and Greta Scacchi stomps around to some effect as the military chief General Meade. These are quirky characters and the Brit actors intend to make an impression playing them quirkily.

Dragomán sums up: ‘Alex and Jörg were brave enough to take my communist childhood tale and adapt it into a modern story, showing us that the threat to freedom is as eternal as our fight for it.’

It is a UK/ Germany/ Sweden/ Hungary co-production, released in the UK on 27 January 2017.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review

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