A touching historical romance from British director Amma Asante (“Belle”), “A United Kingdom” is inspired by
the true story of Seretse Khama
(David Oyelowo), the crown prince of the Bechuanaland Protectorate (later known
as Botswana) who traveled to London in the 1940’s to study law, but
unexpectedly fell in love with a white Englishwoman, Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike). Their forbidden romance and subsequent
marriage eventually embroiled Khama’s homeland, the
British Empire, their own families, and the government of South Africa in an
international uproar of astonishing proportions.
It’s not
hard to get invested in a film like “A United Kingdom”: as a tale about two
people who risk everything to follow their hearts, it’s compelling almost by
default. But for a story about such a courageous pair, Asante’s film plays
things frustratingly safe. The end result is simplistic, but it’s still undeniably
effective.
As an
interracial couple, the lovers face adversity from every direction, including
Ruth’s army captain father (Nicholas Lyndhurst). But he’s nothing compared to
the world of problems that arise when Seretse’s uncle
(Vusi Kunene) requests that he return to his homeland
to finally take up the mantle of king. Ruth expresses no doubt in leaving the
life she knew behind and journeying to an unfamiliar continent, but her promise
that they’ll take the situation “moment by moment” is easier said than done. Once
they arrive in his country, they face the rising regime of apartheid and
underestimate the effect that bringing a white woman home to be queen will have
on his people, who view her presence as a slap in the face.
Further
obstacles in the path toward happiness include a pair of smarmy British
officials (played by Jack Davenport and Tom Felton, in a tidy bit of
typecasting) who are portrayed as one-dimensionally villainous and willing to
do anything to protect their country’s lucrative alliance with South Africa.
“A United
Kingdom” is well-intentioned almost to a fault, and the screenplay by Guy Hibbert (based on Susan William’s book “Colour
Bar”) irons out any of the real-life story’s more complicated wrinkles. It’s
all broadly drawn and ever so tasteful, but the film always looks great.
Cinematographer Sam McCurdy lends chilly blue and gray tones to the sections
set in London, contrasted nicely against the warm golds and oranges of Africa.
Oyelowo and
Pike are both wonderful performers, and each manages to overcome some flat
characterization. Throughout, Seretse and Ruth are
presented as impossibly noble and virtuous. Scrubbed of anything even vaguely
resembling a human flaw, they do the right thing in every instance, never
expressing any doubt or hesitation over their decisions. Hibbert
never bothers to show us exactly what’s driving these characters to take leaps
they know will only lead to more trouble. As the couple determinedly face down
the odds, we’re left with a well-crafted and satisfying story that’s still
somewhat lacking in heart or soul.
Check back on Friday for additional film coverage, including reviews of the
Oscar-nominated animated films “The Red Turtle” and “My Life as a Zucchini.”
This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2017.
