Will Smith Chronicles Tennis History As King Richard [Telluride Review]

TELLURIDE – To say that Richard Williams was a controversial figure in the world of tennis would be something of an understatement. The father and coach of legendary players Venus and Serena Williams was known to bicker with reporters and tournament officials. Often, especially with his daughters were younger, Williams would put himself front and center in a manner that appeared more to his own personal benefit. Some of that is chronicled with frank honesty in Reinaldo Marcus Green’s new film “King Richard.” The fact that many in the family were painted with racial prejudice, especially from the Tennis world, less so. But those battles may also be meant for a different movie. For this isn’t the tale of Serena Williams’ ongoing run at Tennis history. This is the tale of a father and a daughter who rose up from the dangerous confines of Compton, CA, to a heralded debut as a 14-year-old professional tennis player.

Premiering at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival, it’s important to clarify that “King Richard” is decidedly not a biopic about the life of Richard Williams (Will Smith). However, most of the film is from his perspective as he coaches Venus and Serena at an early age about his acquired knowledge of tennis. He’s so confident in their abilities that the picture begins with Richard crashing opulent Los Angeles country clubs trying to convince almost anyone to sponsor them. Ignored but undeterred, he continues their training which is where Green and screenwriter Zach Baylin begin to shift the focus to the overall Williams family dynamic.

Venus and Serena (Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton) practice daily at a city tennis court that is so neglected Richard is constantly sweeping leaves off it for them to use it. Their mother, Oracene “Brandy” Williams (Aunjanue Ellis), is a working nurse during the day, while Richard burns the candle at both ends as a late-night security guard. Brandy’s other three daughters from a previous marriage, Yetunde (Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew), Lyndrea (Layla Crawford), and Isha (Daniel Lawson), excel at their studies. The five young actresses wonderfully capture a sisterly bond as the Williams clan is mostly a loyal, happy, and smiling one. Even with all five girls sharing one bedroom, mind you.

And, yes, Richard does have his battles. He is beaten up multiple times by a gang member who refuses to stop harassing Yetune and, on the mundane end of the spectrum, deals with a next-door neighbor who simply can’t stay out of his business. He also makes life hard on the two highly regarded coaches who most influenced Venus and Serena early in their careers, Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn) and Rich Macci (Jon Bernthal). One of the film’s strong points, though, is that it provides a balanced portrait of Richard as both a control freak and someone simply looking out for the best interests of his girls. As he often reminds everyone he meets (and the audience), he has a 78-page plan for their careers, and he’s going to stick to it.

Simmering in the background is Oracene, whose patience is increasingly tested by her husband’s actions. He intentionally and constantly forgets she’s coached both girls too (fixed Serena’s ball toss when he couldn’t) and makes major decisions without consulting her. She is also the only character who hints at Richard’s former life that the film ignores for the most part. If the movie has a secret weapon, it’s Ellis’ firecracker performance as Oracene because it’s hard to steal a movie from Will Smith, but, boy, she comes damn close.

Obviously, it’s hard for an actor as well known as Will Smith to escape his public persona on screen. It’s that inherent charisma that made him one of the biggest movie stars in the world. But unlike his turn as Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann’s “Ali,” this is a performance he almost completely loses himself in. The fact you simply forget Smith is playing Richard is a notable accomplishment considering the film’s 2 hours and 18 minutes run time.

Towards the last act of the picture, the focus shifts toward Venus and her desire to play professionally before her father thinks she should. And when Nike comes calling with a potential $3 million marketing agreement, Richard makes sure the final decision is in her hands. This noticeable change in perspective would be more awkward if this portion of the film, which includes Venus’ first pro tournament, were not as genuinely compelling as it is.

Where Green and Baylin get slightly lost before the third act is focusing too much on the minutiae of Richard and the girls’ tennis ups and downs. Even with some events liberally combined for narrative purposes (for example, the film depicts Venus and Serena meeting Tennis legends John McEnroe and Pete Sampras at the same time they met Cohen, but in reality, it was much later), the film begins to drag with several themes revisited time and time again. Disappointingly, even for a major studios release, Green and cinematographer Robert Elswit are also simply too visually conservative for this endeavor. The filmmakers are beyond lucky to have the performances from Smith and Ellis, as well as Venus’ own incredible story, to keep you captivated when it matters most.

Notably, “King Richard” also features a new track titled “Be Alive,” co-written and performed by Beyonce Knowles-Carter. [B]

“King Richard” opens nationwide and on HBO Max on Nov. 19

Follow along with our full coverage from the 2021 Telluride Film Festival here.