X
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 48 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 48 m
Summary In this inspiring true story, amateur historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) believes she has made the archeological find of the century: the lost burial site of King Richard III. She takes on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history.
Directed By: Stephen Frears
Written By: Philippa Langley, Michael Jones, Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 48 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 48 m
The Lost King
64
6.6
Where to Watch
Summary In this inspiring true story, amateur historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) believes she has made the archeological find of the century: the lost burial site of King Richard III. She takes on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history.
Directed By: Stephen Frears
Written By: Philippa Langley, Michael Jones, Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
64
63% Positive
20 Reviews
20 Reviews
34% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
64
63% Positive
20 Reviews
20 Reviews
34% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
It’s a feel-good film about dreams, about obsession, about believing in yourself when nobody else seems to be doing it for you, and Hawkins carries it with effortless ease.
It’s a film that calls into question our own biases and accepted notions and encourages one to get out there and find the truth — it could be an adventure after all.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 18 User Ratings
6.6
61% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
33% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
6% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 18 User Ratings
6.6
61% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
33% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
6% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
“The Lost King” is based on true events. The king in question is Richard III, who ruled England from 1483-1485. What’s lost are his corporeal remains. The consensus among historians was that his body was gone forever, thrown into a river after he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth. Philippa Langley disagreed.Philippa (Sally Hawkins in another Oscar-worthy role) is easy to dismiss. She is small in stature, quiet, unassuming and has no formal training in history or archaeology. She has an ex-husband, two sons, a debilitating chronic illness and an unfulfilling job with a marketing company in Edinburgh. One evening, she takes one of her sons to see Shakespeare’s “Richard III” and finds the character (and perhaps the actor) captivating. The king begins to appear to her as an apparition. Feeling affinity for this historic figure who was disparaged by Shakespeare as a usurper, a murderer and a hunchback, Langley joins The Richard III Society [Edinburgh Branch]. After extensive reading and research, she becomes convinced that the king’s body can be found. She crowdsources funding for an archeological dig at the most likely location.Langley’s book “The Search for Richard III” chronicles these and subsequent events. Writers Steve Coogan (who plays Philippa’s ex in the film) and Jeff Pope, along with Director Stephen Frears (“Philomena”), have used this source material to craft a thoughtful, sweet, compelling narrative. At its core, this is a story about an ordinary person who rouses herself to do the extraordinary, finally finding a purpose in life in the process. This film is in many ways a testament to hard work and tenacity, leavened by Philippa’s stubborn unwillingness to accept conventional wisdom. She shows unyielding but polite determination as she encounters skepticism, rejection and condescension while marching toward her **** film also confirms that the winners get to write history. The House of Tudor began its reign over England because of its success in the Battle of Bosworth, which ended the dynasty of the House of York. Unsurprisingly, the Tudors chose to portray the vanquished and now terminally dead Richard III in the worst possible light. The truth, finally acknowledged by the royal family because of Philippa’s efforts, is that Richard III was a legitimate heir to the throne. Also, his skeleton reveals he was not a disfigured hunchback, but a man with a case of scoliosis. There are a couple of missteps in the plotting. The regular appearances of Richard III in full regalia offer a tone of whimsy, while doing little to add momentum to the narrative. And the film has created controversy by going out of its way to disparage the University of Leicester, which admittedly stole the spotlight, marginalized Philippa and diminished her role in a project she initiated. These digressions are unfortunate. This story of a quirky, remarkable woman’s fight to find her voice, by itself, is quite sufficient.
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(Mauro Lanari)
As much as it may resemble it, "The Lost King" is significantly different from "The Dig" (Stone 2021). The latter focused on the relationship of existence with death, while Frears' film concerns a less demanding theme, the realization of the dreams or visions of a middle-aged woman who, like a condottiere of the 1500s, fights against increasingly powerful rivals, first from her estranged husband to the office manager who make her a victim of prejudice and deprive her of the recognition she deserves, then from the Tudors to Shakespeare, the historical victors with the power to rewrite the truth in their favor in an ante litteram disinformation. Both biopics have been accused of dramatizing and falsifying the real events, but if that hits the core of "The Dig," in Philippa Langley's case it's a literally academic controversy with the University of Leicester. Elegant, delicate, delicious, moving and of fine workmanship.
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A featherweight little charmer.
A winning, if whimsical, account of an ordinary woman achieving the extraordinary.
Langley has a tough time persuading people to care as much about Richard III as she does, and so does this film.
The real story of the King Richard dig is fascinating, but the movie, directed by Stephen Frears (“Cheri,” “The Queen”), is just OK.
The film, a shabby account of the story behind the story, muddles its themes and only superficially conveys the importance of the historical insights it contains.
This is Sally Hawkins' movie. Her performance plows past any weaknesses. The film (which is very entertaining overall; don't misunderstand me) is worth seeing on the basis of her work alone. Yes, on the poster's she is co-billed with Steve Coogan; but his role is relatively minor. He co-wrote the script, and no doubt helped get the film made. But it's her show.
The basic story: Philippa Langley works in a mid-level, deadend job, and thanks to some health issues, she struggles a little with enjoying day-to-day life. When she's passed over for a promotion mostly because she's not young, she has a minor life crisis. Her marriage has crumbled, her two sons are pretty decent to her, but still clueless and she's a bit at her wits end. In this state-of-mind, she attends a performance of RICHARD III, and is struck by his story and wonders if history has treated him fairly. (Was he really a murderous, villainous hunchback?) She's driven to discovered the truth about him, and dives into history books, a group of pro-Richard "kooks" and finally, into the desire to find the true location of Richard's remains. He's been unaccounted for (and not really sought) for over 500 years. Why would this amateur archeologist expect to have any luck finding the lost king?
As this is a true story, you can readily find out how her journey went. But what any news articles WON'T show you is how this journey became an obsession that ruled Philippa's life for so long. And how she had to fight not only a patriarchy, but a patriarchy full of particularly disagreeable academic snobs. It's a journey of her empowerment, which culminates in a few moments that make you want to just stand up and applaud.
Hawkins navigates us through all of this expertly. We have sympathy for her character even as we recognize that she's a "difficult" person. She's touchy and twitchy. She speaks up at "inappropriate" times. (Inappropriate in quotes, because it all depends on who it's inappropriate to.) She is an unlikely hero, and yet, she ends up a hero to herself and her family. (The world at large is another story.)
This movie is full of moments of very British humor. Everyone is perhaps a bit wittier than real life, but virtually every character has a little room to breathe. Coogan is good in a role that calls for him to be largely unlikeable, yet keep us at least marginally on his side. It's a quiet film that nonetheless moves forward with nice momentum.
The script includes the character of Richard III himself, who appears to Philippa as a largely quiet character, seemingly holding her to account for her actions. To me, this device was really not needed. Philippa's own explanations for what she's doing are strong enough reasons to follow her story avidly; we don't need a "cute" device like a phantom king.
But really, just sit back and let the quietly brilliant Hawkins carry you through the film. She's an engrossing guide.
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Poor Philippa Langley.
She suffers from horrible headaches.
She hates her job.
Her husband is cheating on her.
She talks to herself.
A lot.
And she's obsessed with cahnging the course of history, and wants to give much maligned King Richard III his due in history.
But how?
The subtitle of this movie should have been The Little Engine that Could.
Without spoiling the movie, Phillippa does her damndest to find out where disgraced King Richard III is buried, and learns the awful truth about how money runs academia in the name of prestige, not about the truth.
Great little movie with nice performances all around.
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This was a serviceable dramatization of a woman's obsession with finding a buried king. The writers squeezed her story into the standard three act story structure in rather obvious ways, but if you enjoy tales about England and its history then you might enjoy this light interpretation of one woman's herculean accomplishment.
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Sally Hawkins brings her gawky charm to this role as a woman who was inspired to locate the grave of Britain's Richard III. Her search meets with opposition from noted historians and academics, but she remains steadfast in her dedication to restoring the king's legacy. A phantom version of the ruler also "haunts" her to become a sort of spiritual guide. Director Stephen Frears has told the story with assurance and an upbeat vibe, but not much emotional connection. Even the supportive relationship with her estranged hubby (Steve Coogan) feels cheerful and cursory. Instead of creating an involving personal journey, this feels almost like a documentary with the cast doing re-enactments. Surprisingly, the score by renowned composer Alexandre Desplat is overbearing and intrusive. On the positive side, this is a fascinating true story about one person's commitment and the remarkable historical implications of her quest.
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Awards
Boulder International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
British Independent Film Awards
• 1 Nomination
