The King Review

The King Dir: James Marsh. US. 2005. 105mins. Last year Gael Garcia Bernal was the face of Cannes, with his contrasting performances in Bad Education and The Motorcycle Diaries. This year, he extends his range even further, smouldering with bad boy sex appeal as a prodigal son in The King, an English-language Gothic drama set in the American South. Bernal's presence may be the principal selling point of a film that invests a typical bunny boiler scenario with a more abstract, dream-like quality along the lines of The Virgin Suicides. It's not in the same league as Sofia Coppola's admired directorial debut but should emerge as a festival fixture and solid specialist release.

Co-written and co-produced by Monster's Ball Oscar nominee Milo Addica, The King is very much steeped in the Bible stories with strong echoes of the fratricidal conflict of Cain and Abel. Just like in Monster's Ball, the themes of sin, repentance and forgiveness dominate throughout. In that film they were allied to a deeply felt human story.

In The King they are so obviously and rigorously pursued that the human story doesn't emerge or grip in quite the same manner. We are not as aware who these people are or how they have suffered and are consequently more challenged in trying to make an emotional investment in their fate.

Just 21, Elvis Valderez (Bernal) is honourably discharged from the Navy. He returns to his hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas determined to confront the father he has never known. David Sandow (Hurt) is now a born again Baptist preacher with a wife, a son Paul (Dano) and a 16 year-old daughter Malerie (James).

Elvis cannot belong in the brave new world that he has created for himself. Elvis has other plans. He seduces Malerie and gradually charms his way into the heart of the family. He is like the snake who has slithered into their own personal Garden of Eden and his presence will destroy their innocence and shatter their lives.

Sporting an authentic-sounding accent, Gael Garcia Bernal makes none of the obvious choices in delineating the neuroses of his avenging angel figure.

This is no bug-eyed loon or larger than life psycho but just a determined, very personable sociopath who knows exactly what he wants to achieve.

Director James Marsh is equally discreet, trying to keep the focus on the personal dilemmas for everyone involved rather than the violence or bloodshed of the tragedy that unfolds. Malerie's attraction to Elvis is in some way a reaction to her father's smothering Christianity but her ignorance of the fact that he is her half-brother makes the ultimate revelation of that both horrific and almost comical.

Marsh has a keen eye for the mangy dogs, abandoned toys and tatty motel rooms of the American heartland. The piercing sun and burning heat of the locations also heighten the brooding atmosphere, painting the daylight flipside of the dark Gothic spirit in a film like Night Of The Hunter.

The King is stylishly made and convincingly acted but there isn't enough substance to the characters or their actions to fully realise all its bright ideas.

Production company
Contentfilm

International sales
Content International

Executive producers
Edward R Pressman
John Schmidt
Sofia Sondervan

Producers
Milo Addica
James Wilson

Screenplay
Milo Addica
James Marsh

Cinematography
Eigil Bryld

Production design
Sharon Lomofsky

Editor
Jinx Godfrey

Music
Max Avery Lichtenstein

Main cast
Gael Garcia Bernal
William Hurt
Pell James
Paul Dano
Laura Harring