Um Reino Unido

The English film A United Kingdom (2016) was directed by Amma Asante. It's an interesting love story, based on real events. David Oyelowo plays Prince Seretse Khama, a young African man studying law in London. Rosamund Pike plays Ruth Williams, an intelligent, fun-loving civil servant. They fall in love, and we know that their marriage will be a difficult one, because of prejudice both in England and in Africa.

What we don't know is that their marriage has implications far beyond each of them. In 1947, South Africa was gearing up for its apartheid program. Bechuanaland was a British protectorate, and Seretse Khama was its rightful prince. However, South Africa borders Bechuanaland, and the South African government refused to tolerate a mixed race couple in a neighboring protectorate.

That meant that not only did Seretse and Ruth face prejudice from the people around them, but they were pawns in an international standoff in which Great Britain was willing to sacrifice them to appease South Africa. What happened next became the plot of the movie.

David Oyelowo is a superb actor. So is Rosamund Pike. Ms. Pike has 42 movie credits, but I believe the only other film in which I saw her was Pride and Prejudice (2005), in which she portrayed Jane Bennet. I reviewed that movie for IMDb, and wrote that her performance was "luminous."

Director Asante is skillful, and the acting and cinematography are wonderful. We saw the movie at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. It won't work quite as well on the small screen, because the film has some breathtaking scenes of the African desert.

For some reason A United Kingdom has a dismal IMDb rating of 6.7. I don't understand this--it's much better than that. Find it and judge for yourself.

The story of Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams is a fascinating one, and is of a good deal of importance and relevance now. 'A United Kingdom', which had such potential from the get go with the talent involved, doesn't disappoint and tells this story beautifully.

Admittedly, this kind of story has a fair few potential traps with the themes displayed, being very difficult to get the right tonal balance and to get it completely right. 'A United Kingdom' could easily have been preachy and over-sentimental with any messaging laid on too thick, any feel-good-factors coming over as corny, characters being one-dimensional and too black and white and the sentimentality being too hard to stomach. Luckily, almost all of those traps are avoided, making 'A United Kingdom a truly absorbing and moving film.

Do agree completely with all but one of the positive reviews, and can understand totally why some may not be as enamoured with it. Usually don't comment on previous reviews, as strictly it's not really supposed to be done here but is frequently done by many, but I too take issue with the content and tone of the top rated review, which is not a review and more a quite incoherent condemnation towards those who rate it low, with ridiculous conspiracy theories that do completely against what 'A United Kingdom' is really about. The number of 1 star ratings in a short space of time may raise eyebrows and can easily be questioned, even if the film didn't do much for me because the production values, directing, storytelling and acting are so well done and what it set out to do is to be admired it would not get less than a 4 or 5. This is all personal opinion of course, and do apologise for the irrelevance.

'A United Kingdom' is not perfect. Some of the dialogue at the beginning is too in your face and forced and the acting of the extras is a little dodgy agreed, can definitely see why anybody may be put off from continuing. Can also understand any criticisms of the supporting characters (the two lead characters are very compelling and beautifully written characters) being one-dimensional and too neatly black and white, the villains especially.

However, 'A United Kingdom' does look absolutely gorgeous, the period detail evocative, the scenery a feast for the eyes from the darker and more drab London location to the sweeping and colourful Botswana ones. Amma Asante directs remarkably and with assurance. Patrick Doyle provides another winner of a music score, coming from someone who has liked a lot of what he's done, full of beauty and emotional power in an understated way.

While not all the script works, much of it is intelligent and thought-provoking, never taking on too much of a heavy-handed tone while making its point clearly, having much to say about the conflicts and explores and balances them with skill and the over-sentimentality never obviously creeps in. The story is beautifully and absorbingly told, told with sensitivity, tension dealt with subtlety but also hard-hitting power and poignant emotion. Seretse and Ruth's love is evident throughout, David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike's chemistry resonating believably and, even when apart in large stretches of the film, disconnect never creeps in despite the potential to.

Great performances all round, apart from reservations about the extras. Oyelowo plays Seretse with towering dignity and passionate sensitivity, his speeches very moving in a gut-wrenching and powerful sense. Pike, fresh from her exceptional career-best performance in the brilliant 'Gone Girl', gives one of her best performances and certainly more than just eye-candy (being one of the most naturally gorgeous actresses today), playing Ruth with calmness, sensitivity and commanding steel, Ruth's progressive attitude to race admirably portrayed and got under the skin well.

Jack Davenport makes for a slimy diplomat, and Tom Felton (who could easily have been out of place, was admittedly expecting him to be) is surprisingly effective and a long way from lightweight. Anastasia Hille and Nicholas Lyndhurst portray Ruth's parents' disapproval very well, Arnold Oceng is very good and there is a quite powerful scene with Pike and the very emotive actress who portrays the mother-in-law.

Not without its issues, but in summary 'A United Kingdom' is a very good film, telling a fascinating and important true story beautifully. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I lived in Botswana for twenty-five odd years and enjoyed every single moment of it, almost certainly due in large measure to Seretse's enlightened politics and the genuine and natural warmth of the Botswana people. I knew both main characters quite well. Seretse was a very approachable man, even as president, and it was a pleasure to spend some time in his company. He was a man well loved by everyone, black and white. In fact, in Botswana one scarcely thought in those terms. As a politician he had huge charisma and was a great orator. He was also a born leader. I remember well being told by insiders that government Ministers who were in trouble for minor abuse of office or the like, would tremble in fear outside his office when they were to be 'carpeted'.

Ruth was an extraordinarily capable woman and even in her later years had more stamina than almost anyone I have known. She was at work in her office in Gaborone from early morning to the end of the day, patron of the Red Cross, Botswana Council of Women etc etc. Contrary, however, to one reviewer's criticism, Rosalind Pike's portrayal was quite accurate. She was not a strident campaigner but a very effective mover who enjoyed a social life and had many friends. In her widowhood she received constant visits from senior members of the tribe and government and was widely loved and respected by her people. She was most certainly "Mohumagadi" - Mother of the Nation.

This film portrays their personalities pretty accurately and the characterisation of the actors is extraordinarily true to life. Both David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike were absolutely convincing. The quality of the acting very quickly overcame my initial niggling concern that the physical likenesses were not quite there. The photography of Botswana was outstanding and the familiar views of Serowe from the Palapye 'road' and the scenes in the kgotla were quite emotional for me; I unexpectedly found I had a lump in my throat.

I can understand that, for others, the film may not have the immediacy it has for me, perhaps, but previous criticisms of 'cold' and 'unemotional' - No! Leaving aside my personal interest, it deserved to be the opener for the London Film Festival. Maybe not a total "blockbuster" but an unusual and great film nonetheless. Very close to fact.

A United Kingdom is a true and gripping tale which handles it true historical source material with aplomb. With fantastic performances from Oyelowo and especially Pike, the central characters plight is beautifully illustrated. It's not perfect; some of the writing is a little clunky, but the character chemistry is there, and you leave the movie theatre feeling like a part of the story.

Quite how this movie receives the rating it does is completely beyond me. I can only imagine that half the voters didn't in fact see the movie.

At first I thought this movie would ruin this story. It's a painful, yet hopeful and loving chapter of African history. This is NOT a love story. If people should come to watch this movie hoping for a "love conquers all" plot... They should be very disappointed. And I'm fairly glad for that. I congratulate the director, Amma Asante, for rendering this story into the big screen with delicacy and respect to all involved. I thank her for realizing all this story was NOT, and putting it out for the public from the first frame. I also love her for showing almost everything this story was about, without going into great detail.

This movie is based on the true relationship between the King of (now) Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama, and a white British woman, Ruth Williams. Today we might know Ruth and Khama as leaders in the fight for the country's independence (since it was, when they married, a British protectorate), but their struggle started way sooner. Their story became their country's story. A fight for their right to choose.

It's not about their love. It's about his choice, not to marry within his tribe's customs, and her choice, to up and leave her home, building herself a new life from scratch. It's about a country's choice to their leader - and how much the world hates him, her and the country for the nerve to demand their voices be heard with such fire.

Amma Asante thrives on sewing up Seretse and Ruth deep within the political setting, in a beautiful dance, until we cannot see the lines between them. She also shows how much resistance change can face - and overcome. Their marriage becomes a set of lens for the viewer to analyze strength and frailty confined in this tiny world full of hope. And it gets you going.

Rosamund Pike and Daniel Oyelowo are simply superb. His performance here is stronger than Selma's, which is saying something. And though Pike had less screen time than Oyelowo, her presence is felt throughout every scene. It doesn't fail. Pike gives a poignant performance of a true turnaround in life, and she gets us engaged with her every move. She doesn't have to show her face; every spin this movie gives gets the viewer thinking about Ruth's reaction, thanks to her powerful deliverance.

With that power couple, I thought the supporting cast would be weak and acceptable... I was surprised. Again. Tom Felton, Jack Davenport, Laura Carmichael (why, hello, Lady Edith!), Terry Pheto, Vusi Kunene, Jessica Oyelowo and Abena Ayivor, to name a (very) few, were splendid in their roles and really brought the tension between marriage and politics alive.

Cinematography is delightful, which goes really well with the dazzling music score. The somber tones of post-war London are contrast to the joyful sounds and colors of the southern borders of Africa; yet you hear pain in their laughter as well as you see smiles in British tears. Everything is designed to really bring the viewer there and then.

It's an interesting and delicate take in a true story, that happened not so long ago. It's a solid 7, because of historical inconsistencies throughout the film (the lasting of the protectorate, Indian's ruler at the time of independence, and so on), but it's definitely worth at least a screening.