Someone asked why have they made a picture focussing on Richard Williams and not his two daughters; Venus and Serena who are the ones that won so many grand slams.
The answer is that movie studios were not interested about Venus and Serena. A film about their father. A driven, complicated and obstinate showman managed to attract funding.
The problem with King Richard is that with the Williams sisters as producers of the movie. It is sugar coated and pulls its punches.
Richard Williams (Will Smith) wanted his daughters to succeed and he has written a plan for them to become top tennis players even before they were born.
Richard and his wife Brandy want to escape their neighbourhood in Compton. Richard gets regularly beaten up by gang members who pester his daughters. The well heeled white men in the tennis clubs are not interested in coaching his daughters. The sub text being that black people are more suited for the basketball court than the tennis court.
Richard is undeterred. When he does find a coach to train Venus for free. Brandy decides to train Serena as Richard interferes and falls out with the coach.
At times Richard claims to know better. He looks for better coaches and then falls out with them. He even pulls his daughters from the junior circuit because he wants his daughters to have a normal life and concentrate on their education. Despite them playing tennis since they were toddlers.
King Richard is part biopic and part plucky success against the odds story. Will Smith makes a good attempt to capture the contradictory nature of Richard Williams. He gives a punchy performance. The script though does not get down and dirty.
There is a scene where Richard and Brandy have an argument and tell some home truths. Richard has had children from other relationships which seemed to be affairs. Brandy had three daughters from a previous marriage. It needed to stick the knife into Richard Williams and brings out his flaws a lot more.
The coaches found Richard to be hard work. Finding out that he had his own agenda and ulterior motives. Instead the movie opts for sentimentality as Venus takes her first steps in the pro circuit.
The answer is that movie studios were not interested about Venus and Serena. A film about their father. A driven, complicated and obstinate showman managed to attract funding.
The problem with King Richard is that with the Williams sisters as producers of the movie. It is sugar coated and pulls its punches.
Richard Williams (Will Smith) wanted his daughters to succeed and he has written a plan for them to become top tennis players even before they were born.
Richard and his wife Brandy want to escape their neighbourhood in Compton. Richard gets regularly beaten up by gang members who pester his daughters. The well heeled white men in the tennis clubs are not interested in coaching his daughters. The sub text being that black people are more suited for the basketball court than the tennis court.
Richard is undeterred. When he does find a coach to train Venus for free. Brandy decides to train Serena as Richard interferes and falls out with the coach.
At times Richard claims to know better. He looks for better coaches and then falls out with them. He even pulls his daughters from the junior circuit because he wants his daughters to have a normal life and concentrate on their education. Despite them playing tennis since they were toddlers.
King Richard is part biopic and part plucky success against the odds story. Will Smith makes a good attempt to capture the contradictory nature of Richard Williams. He gives a punchy performance. The script though does not get down and dirty.
There is a scene where Richard and Brandy have an argument and tell some home truths. Richard has had children from other relationships which seemed to be affairs. Brandy had three daughters from a previous marriage. It needed to stick the knife into Richard Williams and brings out his flaws a lot more.
The coaches found Richard to be hard work. Finding out that he had his own agenda and ulterior motives. Instead the movie opts for sentimentality as Venus takes her first steps in the pro circuit.