The King film review

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THE KING

A languid, moody drama that never quite manages to reach the heights it would like, The King is a nonetheless interesting offering from the writer of the Oscar-winning Monster's Ball and the director of the remarkable Wisconsin Death Trip. It also offers Gael Garcia Bernal his first full English-language role, and alongside some impressive co-stars he proves that he really is one of contemporary cinema's most fascinating young actors.

Bernal stars as Elvis, a young sailor who has finished a tour of duty and is back on dry land. He decides to make a beeline for Corpus Christ in Texas, where his real but estranged father (whom he has never met) may be living. Elvis finds his father - a former drunkard now turned preacher - and insinuates himself into his new family, especially with his attractive new stepsister Malerie (Pell James).

When his feelings towards Malerie begin to grow, Elvis faces the difficult choice of whether to threaten his new-found family's stability, while at the same time coming to terms with the smug and priggish behaviour displayed by his father. The film takes its time in building to a crescendo that is both horrific and unexpected.

While the script offers much for the actors to get their teeth into, its chief flaw is that it is too slow in moving forward: the mood is there but the pace does tend to drag. As a result, the climax is overshadowed by the melodramatic moments that precede it.

Nevertheless, Bernal is excellent, as is William Hurt who appears to be going through something of a career revival and here delivers a mesmerising performance as the obsessive preacher. Mention should also be made of Pell James, who plays Elvis' forbidden fruit, and is another young name to look out for. The King is a quiet and understated affair, and perhaps these are its chief faults: it needs something to lift it out of the ordinary.

Paul Hurley