The Lost King

King Richard III has long been a figure of historical and literary fascination. While some contemporary accounts describe him as a good ruler, particularly to common folk, his legacy has largely been shaded by descriptions of him as a tyrant. This negativity was supported by his Tudor successors, and spread exponentially due to the enduring popularity of Shakespeare’s play Richard III which portrayed Richard as a conniver, responsible for the deaths of his nephews to increase his hold on the throne. The play, and its adaptations, are likely the basis for the knowledge most people have about Richard III. These include the 1930’s horror film Tower of London as well as the more direct adaptations from Laurence Olivier in 1955 and the Ian McKellen/Richard Loncraine film in 1995. Al Pacino’s 1996 Looking for Richard, which is half-documentary and half staged scenes from the play, is another interesting take, one which shares a name with the project started by Philippa Langley when she was searching for Richard III’s remains. It is Langley’s story which is the focus of the new Stephen Frears film The Lost King.

Courtesy IFC Films

Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) begins the film working at a sales job in Edinburgh. When she is passed over for a special project in favor of several younger colleagues, she feels that it is mostly due to her battle with chronic fatigue syndrome. She believes that it has never impeded her professional performance, but her boss states that he just wants to give some younger people a boost. Frustrated, she returns home to discuss the situation with her ex-husband John (Steve Coogan). He encourages her to stick with her job, as they now need the money to run two post-divorce households. He then heads out on a date, leaving Philippa to attend a local production of Richard III as part of a homework project for her son. She is captivated by the actor (Harry Lloyd) playing Richard. Because of her own physical struggles, she identifies with the life of the King who is mocked for his physical issues. She begins to have visions of Richard III, and decides to learn more about him, eventually joining a local Richard III historical society. After talking to several academics, some of whom support her view of Richard while others mock her, Philippa becomes determined to find the lost remains of King Richard III. Based on her research and a feeling, she is convinced that the burial site is under a parking lot in the city of Leicester. During her search for assistance, she is sent to talk to archaeologist Richard Buckley (Mark Addy) who works for the University of Leicester. He initially dismisses her, but when the University cuts his funding, he becomes willing to work with her as she has private funding. Much of this is due to the support of the city council, who feel that if the remains are found, it will be a big boost for the city. Standing against Philippa is University of Leicester representative Richard Taylor (Lee Ingleby), who feels that Philippa is not a serious researcher and that her efforts risk damaging the city and the University’s reputation. When initial efforts fail and the city pulls financial support, Philippa and the Looking for Richard Project are bolstered by crowdfunding efforts.

The Lost King has all of the ingredients to create a very good film. Frears is a veteran director with a history of excellent work. The script is from Coogan and co-writer Mark Pope. Coogan is a solid writer for film and television, including a previous collaboration with Frears, 2013’s Philomena. Sally Hawkins does consistently great work, and the supporting actors are usually good as well. But unfortunately the film is less than the sum of its parts. The primary problem is the script. The device of the visionary King Richard is overused throughout the film. The filmmakers also seem to believe that it has much more emotional weight than it actually does. Part of this is because it is tied so closely to the similarities that Philippa sees between her illness and Richard’s suspected deformities. It’s a connection that never quite connects in a satisfying manner, and throws off the emotional center of the film. There are moments, such as with the quirky Richard III Society, when the film feels like it wants to become a comedy, but never commits to that approach. The result is a film that never finds its footing tonally.

Courtesy IFC Films

Of the actors, Hawkins is the only one who is given a character with any sort of depth. She does what she can with the part, but even her acting prowess can only go so far with such limited development. She unfortunately has to spend large chunks of the film on the verge of tears for reasons that never feel quite real. Then at the end, when Philippa’s rightful recognition is largely denied to her, there is no moment of righteous indignation – no final showcase of emotion. The film, and the performance, just sort of peter out. Addy and Coogan have moments, but aren’t given enough to do. Frears’s direction is competent, but does not rise above that level. In an odd coincidence, there was a film released in 2021 which covered similar plot and thematic ground as The Lost King. This was The Dig, from director Simon Stone, starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan. It focused on the excavation of Sutton Hoo, and also focused on regular people leading the charge in a major archaeological discovery, only to be pushed aside by previously doubting academics once the discovery is made. If it is a theme of interest to you, seek out The Dig (on Netflix), which is a far superior film. Overall, The Lost King could have remained lost.

The Lost King opens in theaters Friday March 24th.