The unlikely but astonishing true story of how an amateur historian led the campaign to unearth the body of King Richard III from a car park 500 years after he died in battle is told beautifully here. Stephen Frears is a great director, and the script is engaging, funny, crystal clear and well edited. Sally Hawkins is a gem - her acting is heartfelt but tinged with humour. Her character Phillippa shows how a passion in life, even being obsessed by a historic figure, can give us so much. Such as a purpose and a social life. It is reassuring that even in an age of technology and experts, an ordinary woman can achieve the extraordinary. In some respects she happened to be the one who brought the disparate threads of evidence, which had somehow been lost over time, together to locate the body. And crowd funding for the dig played a huge part, too. As her ex-husband John, Steve Coogan shows understated intelligence and love. For once an ex is portrayed positively. It is a great performance by Coogan. I loved the presence of the ghost of King Richard. Instead of being silly, it added more meaning to the film. The ghost is a silent reminder that Richard was human. The movie is quite pro-Richard but it does not convince me that he did not murder his nephews. But this is a story about Phillipoa, and that is what she believes.
Review of The Lost King
