Review: 'King Richard' (2021) Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green

Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Dylan McDermott, Andy Bean, Kevin Dunn and Jon Bernthal

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Not a historical drama about Richard I, but a sports biographical drama focusing on the man behind tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams in their early years; their father...

Hard-working and passionate father Richard Williams (Smith) is putting his all into supporting his family but coaching daughters Venus (Sidney) and Serena (Singleton) in playing tennis, making sure his girls have the respect and admiration he never did.

Richard isn't afraid to push them hard to understand what it takes to be a winner, but others question the pressure he is putting on his daughters. Yet his wife Oracene (Ellis) supports her girls and husband with their ambition against the odds.

With the support of top tennis coaches Rick Macci (Bernthal) and Paul Cohen (Goldwyn), Richard does his best to protect his daughters from the distractions outside world to become champions, but must be care not to smother them and prevent them living a life...

Set in the rich late 80s / early 90s, we are taken on a sporting journey by the Williams / Price family that has everything from a soundtrack that harkens back to great sporting dramas to solid facial hair. But this is something more than a period piece of decades gone by; it's a look at family and the relationships that carry them. The desire to be somebody; to be a winner; to be champion, and that's just Richard Williams wanting to be the best for his girls.

This is Will Smith's vehicle, and it's testament to his ability as an actor how good he is with family drama. Smith can attribute this to his own upbringing and stories experienced as a family man, and so you don't need to see him in all out action when he is just as powerful with his heart. Especially as Richard Williams, a man who has struggled through his life in order to provide for his family and survive an almost never-ending battle in society due to their race and community. He doesn't trust white people, or their motivations or their prejudice, which works both for and against his vision. Some sequences scarily mirror events yet to come in modern society that still show the struggle for Black-American people.

The drama gives Smith real moments to shine and help expand on a man many would never know about; the man standing behind the Williams sisters as they now dominate the tennis circuit.

We are given far more substance than expected to the Williams family, especially Richard, in the sports biopic genre. Rather than focus on the people that the world know, we look at the man and stories who many don't. If anything, this works for the better when we now see the outcome of what years of struggle, pain and sacrifice led to. There are reasons behind Richard's way of teaching and parenting, and it's quite sweet to see what they are. And it's not all based on hitting balls back and forth - it's about understanding the relationships, personal demons and dreams each of the family has and how they deal with them as humans.

We see people and places we otherwise may not be aware of, but it's not to say Smith carries this journey alone. The brilliant Aunjanue Ellis is the mother Oracene Price who gives all her girls 110% support and the love they need as young woman facing great pressures, as well as supporting Richard.

Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton are the young Williams sisters who have an energy as infectious as their bright smiles. Sidney and Singleton have clearly put the time into studying the women they will portray and the sport they play thanks to convincing sequences on the court. They have youthful innocence but mature passion at the same time, and they make a great team, seeing them as sisters and not just tennis stars. Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew, Danielle Lawson and Layla Crawford also are wonderful as Oracene's daughters who make up the strong Williams/Price household.

We also have strong support from coaches Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal who help mould their journey, adding the required amount of characteristics, coaching and life-lessons to help craft them all on their journey.

If tennis doesn't sound the most exciting of sports, except a fast-paced volley between stars, Green captures the intensity and power behind the racket with plenty of technical tips, sequences and conversations between our leads. This doesn't just show the amount of time and training needed to survive the court, but also that of Richard who needs to hand over his girls more the sport and the professionals taking them on. It's interesting to see how cut-throat the sport is as much as any others, and the pressure that is placed on these young adults to be something great, to the disapproval of parents when they lose.

With a solid run-time that doesn't drag, an engrossing story based around family and the struggles to reach success, this is an often touching and empowering look at relationships and the risks taken to make dreams come true. It's a faithful sports biopic but with a new slant on who the main focus is, and with a fantastically intense and well shot final match to cap off the Williams sister's early journey.

One of the best performances from Will Smith in years, supported by a brilliant supporting cast who all tell a heartfelt journey with great drama, warmth and relevance. It also does wonders to show the power of tennis as a sport.

'King Richard' is a co-production between Westbrook Studios, Star Thrower Entertainment and Keepin' It Reel.