Film Review: THE LOST KING (2022): Sally Hawkins Turns in a Fine Performance in a Slow-Moving but Important Film

The Lost King Review

The Lost King (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Stephen Frears, written by Philippa Langley, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope and starring Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Mark Addy, Harry Lloyd, Helen Katamba, Lewis Macleod, Benjamin Scanlan, Adam Robb, Robert Jack, John-Paul Hurley, James Rottger, Jessica Hardwick, David Ireland and Alison Peebles.

Stephen Frears’ charming drama, The Lost King, features the always fabulous Sally Hawkins as a real-life woman named Philippa Langley who was an amateur historian who at the age of 45 began a quest to prove King Richard III wasn’t a usurper. She proved that he was not one and a whole lot more. She originally worked a job where she didn’t get enough credit and eventually became loved by many for her discovery of the remains of Richard III. The Lost King is a story of an underdog achieving success by just going with her gut and Hawkins is perfectly cast as Philippa (who also co-wrote the screenplay), a smart woman who suffered from nervousness but rose above expectations. While the movie is slow-moving for a while in the opening stages, it’s well-made and definitely keeps the viewer watching thanks to Hawkins’ very moving performance.

Philippa watches a play of King Richard III and automatically feels some kind of bond with the eventually declared former King of England. Philippa lives with her kids and her ex-husband, John (the always exceptional Steve Coogan) when we initially meet her but she feels there is excitement lacking in her life. John is dating someone else and Philippa doesn’t want to go down the path of trying to rekindle a romance with John. They live together for financial and familial reasons. Philippa takes a great interest in the history of Richard III. She envisions him as an actual person through her imagination. He’s played by Harry Lloyd. Late in the film, one of her kids witnesses a conversation between the “two” of them as it appears to the child that Philippa is talking to herself. So, the young boy tells his dad who replies, “Everyone talks to themselves.”

As Philippa grows concerned with trying to clear the name of King Richard III, she begins to take matters into her own hands seeking help in terms of digging up his remains to see if the King was actually a noble man. Shakespearean stories aside, she has her own theories about Richard III. She seeks help with funding from the University of Leicester where an Archaeologist named Richard Buckley (Mark Addy) eventually assists her in her quest to try to dig up what is left of Richard III.

There are a lot of implausibilities here or so you would think. However, the movie is actually true to life and Frears makes it interesting throughout although some of the scenes where Philippa buys history books and goes to different groups to try to make sense of Richard III are a bit slow-moving. This film takes a while to make the viewer realize that Philippa isn’t just a woman with nothing better to do but rather, a serious woman with determination who will prove her theories true if it’s the last thing she does.

Hawkins is absolutely first-rate here. She becomes Philippa and makes the audience respect the character. In another actress’s hands, the audience could have thought she was a bit kooky but Hawkins makes us respect and care for Philippa so that we want to see her happy whether it’s through her quest to make history or through her family life. Addy is always reliable and is decent in support. Coogan, however, is very well-cast as the ex-husband who supports his former spouse in her quest to prove that there’s more going on than what was assumed to be true about Richard III.

You don’t have to be a historian to enjoy this movie. That’s because Frears makes it accessible to all audiences through the way he presents the story to the audience. You’ll want to see Philippa triumph in her quest to prove everyone wrong. A particular standout scene comes when everyone assumes the first bones discovered are certainly not Richard III’s. Philippa’s determination to see if they are or are not, indeed, Richard III’s is certainly admirable and Hawkins is convincing and commands the audience’s attention at all times.

While The Lost King may be a bit conventional in its message of never giving up and perseverance, it is also genuinely inspirational. There’s no denying that this story could have gone another way than it did in real-life but that’s what life is all about– taking risks. Philippa took risks that paid off for her country and for her family. You may just find this story will inspire you and if you can get past a sluggish start, the latter scenes in the movie are certainly worth the investment. Hawkins is that rare actress who can make almost any part she plays work for her and this role is one of her best leading roles yet!

Rating: 7.5/10

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