Why the Will Smith vehicle King Richard deserves to win the Best Picture Oscar

February 27th, 2022 Oscars Ceremony. 10 movies will compete for Best Picture. Belfast, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, Dog PowerAnd West Side Story. Each person has strengths and flaws, but any one could end up taking the prize. In the leadup to the Oscars, we’re making a case for why each of them might deserve to take the big prize.

WHAT’S THE MOVIE?

King RichardReinaldo Marcus green directed and Will Smith starred in the film.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

This biographical sports drama follows Richard Williams (Will Smith), coach and father to tennis superstars Venus and Serena, as he steers the young girls toward their professional debuts in the early ’90s. Richard is a single-minded, eccentric man who struggles to overcome many obstacles in his way. They become the best tennis players ever.

WHAT’S THE CRED?

King Richard is an old-school star vehicle, and it’s primarily been set up for success in the Best Actor category (where Smith is the clear frontrunner) over Best Picture. Smith is the only one who can be eclipsed by anyone; Smith, the young director, cannot be beaten, nor can any other cast member. The studio worked hard to help him, with unshowy, classic craftsmanship. The true-life story is inspirational, and the role depends on Smith’s enormous personal charisma while also requiring him to transform his speech and bearing into those of another famous figure. In other words, it’s textbook Oscar-bait.

WHY IS IT A WINNER?

King Richard feels like a throwback — in a good way. It recalls a time, not so long ago, when glossy, rousing, dependable sports movies and biopics were part of Hollywood’s stock in trade, and there’s something intensely comforting about that. There’s also plenty to admire. Robert Elswit, a great cinematographer (There will always be blood, NightcrawlerPerhaps no one knows more about how to photograph the streets of Los Angeles than Smith. Aunjanue Ellis is a crucial counterweight to Smith as Richard’s wife Brandy, and Jon Bernthal does a lovely turn as the enthusiastic coach Rick Macci. Smith does well not to let impersonation smother his naturalness as a performer, and neither his performance nor the fine script gloss over all of Richard’s more problematic quirks. It’s a fairly nuanced portrait of a complicated man.

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

The catch is Richard Williams himself, and the Williams family’s involvement in the film. Richard Williams was often misunderstood and dismissed by the media, as well as a racist bias inherent in his portrayal. It’s understandable that his daughters would want to correct that. However, the movie transforms the story of the two highly influential women into the story of the man who controlled everything in their childhoods and claimed all the credit. King Richard can’t really dig into the troubling contradictions and implications of that story without giving up its central thesis: He was right, and everyone else was wrong. So it doesn’t.

One great thing that no one should miss

Warner Bros.

It can be extremely difficult to capture sports scenes in a convincing way. Although tennis is fast-paced and spatially complicated, it can be difficult to film. The psychological drama of tennis is also a benefit. Green stages his matches with great confidence, and the film’s climax — in which a 14-year-old Venus faces top international contender Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in her first professional tournament — is both brilliantly realized and a bold dramatic choice.

WHERE CAN I SEE IT?

King Richard It is also available for rent through Amazon, Apple and Vudu. You can also view our streaming guide that lists all nominees for the 2022 Oscars.

Previously:

Why? Don’t Look Up Award for Best Picture
Why? Dog Power deserves the Best Picture
Why? West Side StoryBest Picture deserves to be a Winner
Why? Belfastdeserves the Best Picture
The reason?Nightmare Alleydeserves to be the Best Picture

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Why? Dunedeserves the Best Picture