2022 Reviews – King Richard

My plan was to get this out amidst the Australian Open, but the two weeks of tennis that Melbourne is lucky to host each year is just too good, too alluring. Go Nadal. Go Barty! Ever since I got into tennis, I have always loved Venus Williams – that was around eighteen years ago. And Serena Williams has become a champion I love to hate; but I respect her, oh hell, do I respect her. I came across the trailer for this movie many months back, and I can’t wait to see the backstory behind the two biggest sister sport stars of all time. This is gonna be amazing.

Richard Williams (Will Smith) works his job at night, and trains his young daughters, Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), to become elite tennis athletes during the day. Facing roadblocks at every turn, trying to get them noticed by coaches, warding off the depressing and depravity in their poor neighbourhood, Williams is bold in his vision for their future, spruiking a grand plan. King Richard follows the Williams’ clan during a time when Venus begins her career on the Juniors Tour, and her following leap to become a professional tennis player, with her father’s help and hinderance in toe. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs King Ricard, off a Zach Baylin screenplay.

You know, watching a noble Richard Williams get knocked back by a manner of different tennis experts, you know what’s never asked? ‘So, you can’t help me; what can I do? You know the system, so what can I do?’ But I’m sure I know the answer, and if the movie had Mr. Williams ask somebody in the industry those constructive questions, the answer would have been, ‘not much’. It’s never clear how much of a racist element holds the Williams’ back, it’s intentionally murky, but it is certainly because they’re poor, and the tennis industry in the early nineties comes across very strongly, unable to help those without the means to succeed. What is also clear is that nobody shared Richard’s thorough vision for these girls as future tennis champions – except Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis); I feel she’d kill me if I didn’t mention her, rightfully – and that’s what this movie is about. I’m glad the movie keeps any direct racism in the back seat, because in reality, King Richard holds a universal theme of trying to achieve something that’s never been done before, from a very compromised position. Don’t get me wrong, whilst not overt, an undercurrent of battling against years of oppression and poverty to reach this goal is well-evident – I thought the movie was fantastic for how it shows a news clip of the Rodney King police beating, with the only commentary coming from Oracene who says, ‘well, at least they got them on tape this time’… and we know how that went ☹ This scene, along with a few others, are subtle ways of letting us understand Richard’s mentality; how he feels at any moment, that the white man can pull the rug out from under your legs, while Richard is turning out deals that the tennis community veterans find absurd. I may not have truly gelled with the depiction of generational trauma in Encanto, but I get it here, watching Richard at odds with the rich white systems of professional tennis, afforded unconscious cultural luxuries, with Venus often confused and frustrated at her father’s behaviour, and learning the importance of being humble, along with her sisters. Richard Williams knows his daughters hold the goods, and is adamant in them succeeding beyond just succeeding; I feel like being poor or oppressed forces one to think in very long-term goals for success in life. With that in mind, there’s no way I would have turned down that 3-million-dollar deal after Venus Williams won her first-round match! But she held out and ends up getting 12 million! Oh, I was never any good at playing Deal or No Deal on television anyway, even as an armchair expert.

I suppose it’s clear that Will Smith is dusting off his old inspirational mode from The Pursuit of Happyness and sprinkling in the appropriate Richard Williams’ sensitivities to give this transfixing and serious performance. I found the movie to be brilliant, in presenting Williams as a rounded character, with his cruelty and chauvinism on show, included in with his terrific duty and vision. The movie is not very good at laying all the information on the table though, and will drop in erratic facts, like how Richard has neglected a son we didn’t know he had, every time the movie wants to alter our perceptions in a certain situation – I guess it’s allowed to do that, and there’s a lot to cover in a life, but it can feel a little dishonest and jarring when it’s done. On the other side of the net, this is the softest character Jon Bernthal has ever played from memory, as tennis coach Rick Macci, and it just goes to prove that Bernthal can do anything. I haven’t heard any buzz around his performance for a Best Supporting actor nod, but he’s close, I reckon… but aaahhh, that could just be because I love him. But there have been some whispers for Saniyya Sidney though, and I can see why, with a few moments where she needs a really controlled maturity, and she’s always a bright presence. But there are also as many simple scenes with Venus and Serena, where their role is to just giggle at Will Smith’s jokes.

King Richard can get a bit hokey, with Venus saying she wants to win Wimbledon as many times as anyone has done before, and Serena wants other players to ‘wanna play like me’ – did they really say that on the same day? Back when they were ten, and they remember it? Richard says he’s planned for Venus to get to number 1, and for Serena to be the greatest of all time, and whilst congratulations are undoubtedly in order for their astounding accomplishments, resulting all the way to this movie, it’s also easiest to show a view of how someone was right using hindsight. King Richard is not the same as something like tick, tick… Boom! where the threat of failure is very real, even though, we know the outcome. As one of the other bigwig tennis officials says to one of Richard’s pitches, there are heaps of parents telling him their children are going to be the best too, and whilst the Williams’ hardly waver in confidence, not everyone’s methodology is vindicated – I doubt Andy Murray ever skimped a training session, and look how many Grand Slams he’s lost. The bad sportsmanship in Venus’ junior championships is also comical; the movie is making a valid point, about separating competition from character, and I’m sure there were sulky competitors at these tournaments, but all of them? It’s also hilarious when Serena wins a point and gives her trademark guttural ‘c’mon!’ when she’s only ten, but it’s cool.

But still, perhaps stupidly, I still got chills every time Mr. Williams said that his girls were going to be champions, because they are. It’s been a privilege to live through the reign of the greatest female tennis champions of all time, in Serena Williams, and it’s a joy every time the sisters play together. I’m very glad this movie was made. After watching two weeks of Australian Open tennis intently, I’ve decided that a movie can’t truly replicate the dramatic authenticity or accomplishment of real match play in professional sport, but as a movie, celebrating the behind-the-scenes junior preparation of two out-and-out champions of the world, King Richard is well worthwhile.

4.0