The White King

I saw this at the opening at EIFF For once a movie that shows us an adolescent understanding how propaganda can blind you, and standing up for himself in a believable real life scenario. No sci-fi gimmicks or ninjas here- which is a reason why it may not appeal to some people. But this is real life, and if you are 12, these are the means you have at your disposal. How propaganda and politician's lies can deceive us is very topical at the moment - in national and international politics. The narrative is at times disjointed and I was not sure if it reflected the episodic nature of the original novel or the disorientation of the child (an excellent Lorenzo Allchurch) facing the realisation his world is different from what he believes A particularly believable performance by Jonathan Pryce as the grandfather torn between duty and love.

Really, it's a bit an empty movie. Some great shots, clearly the crew is capable, but the movie as it's edited just doesn't go anywhere. 90 minutes of wasted time. It carries the potential to so much more but never really delivers. If you watch it, do it for the esthetics. For the movie in its entirety it is not particularly worth the time.

This was a visually a stunning film about a charmed Dystopian world filmed on location I think in Hungary. Uncomfortable to watch through the innocent boys' eyes as he realizes all is not as it seems..... Very good acting from young newcomer and all the cast - some terrifying twins like something out of Mad Max. Jonathan Pryce always hits this characters spot on. Agyness Deyn very natural. Strangely topical in our current climate in 2017... Who really knows what is what and of course, a child sees things differently. Never read the book, which clearly has undertones of 1984 and other classics.A great first film from a new producing/writing/directing team.

Potential. But I think it failed to convert from the book into a film. The backdrop with violent kids just rampaging, and no one paying attention to that, to the ending that offered nothing. I have no idea what the film was wanting to achieve. I think they wanted to make this a triple series but maybe realised it was just weak material and gave up. either that or the editor is owed his or her $500 fee and withheld the last 20 minutes of the film. Watch it or not it is one of those that won't make a difference. Sad really, had a lot of potential in there. I think you could have gone to 20 random people in the street and they could have made that 50% better

Ten Stars. My wife's parents grew up in one of the socialist paradises, Bulgaria, and they recommend this film as the most incisive depiction of what goes on when the people hand over more and more control of the economy, and with it, education and with that, people's lives, to a government. I do want to comment on one reviewer here who said a scene was copied from George Orwell. Please read Christoper Hitchens' "Why Orwell Matters." Orwell included an actual brainwashing exercise in Lenin's socialist USSR. The white King is not copying Orwell, but rather including in the story a common enough abuse in socialist countries. See this film, and understand why the largest purveyors of violence have always been governments, and especially those claiming to be looking after the social welfare.