The King [DVD]

The writing, directing, acting, etc. is excellent. The story believable. My only complaint is sometimes good actors whisper & the audio wasn't adjusted properly, so you will have to keep adjusting it. Sadly, this is a true-to-life type of film. I wouldn't show it to someone who has mental illness issues. It might be good for parents to show it to their teens, (tweens?) & explain some safety issues with them. I don't want to give up the story, but safety issues:1) Your daughters should know that it's unsafe to run off alone with (even sometimes when there's two or three friends) with a stranger. No matter how cute & sweet he is...There are girls who have gotten murdered this way, even from a 'friend' of the family.2) Your kids should not go to a stranger's home, even the boys. Never threaten someone because they might be demented enough to murder you.3) Never invite a stranger to live in your home, even if it's a relative. You have to get to know them first or your family could be in grave danger. It sounds harsh, but too many families have been hurt by this...4) If you lie about your past or present life, it will come back to bite you in the behind. I've seen some Christians do this. It's called living a lie & from a Christian perspective that opens the door to the devil. Some folks call it karma.Overall, I believe you will like this film, especially if you are a fan of Gael Bernal.

I'm pretty sure I wrote some review about this movie a few years ago, but oh well...This movie really surprised me because I wasn't expecting to like it at all. I had never heard of Gael Garcia Bernal, and figured he'd just been some random, untalented actor. I was blown away by his and everyone else's performances. I really liked the feel of normalcy you get from the characters and the situation. I found myself saying to myself, "Darn, except for a few twists and turns this could actually be someone's family/life!"So, what happens in the movie one might say? Bernal plays Elvis who has just been discharged from the Navy. He wants to go to Texas to find his father. Well, that doesn't turn out well at all because daddy doesn't want to claim Elvis for various reasons. Elvis stays in Texas, near his father, finds a job, and meets a girl. What could be wrong with that, except everything!One slowly sees that even though Elvis shows no real feelings about being rejected by his father, everything that Elvis is doing is due to rage and wanting to get even with his father. Basically, Elvis is a sweet psychopath who looks damn adorable doing very bad things.

After being discharged from the Navy, a disturbed young man named Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) seeks out his father, whom he has never met. When his father (William Hurt), now a preacher, rejects him, Elvis seeks revenge on his father through his father's new family."The King" is a "horror" movie, but not in the sense that you are probably used to. According to the "letter from the director", that is included in the DVD case of this movie, "The King" was partially inspired by the horror movies that the director saw in his youth, including "Brimstone and Treacle", a film about a strange young man who makes his way into the family of a middle-aged writer. That plot is pretty much the same as that of "The King" (except the bit about the writer), but to call this film a "horror" film would be misleading. The term "horror" usually evokes images of supernatural monsters or knife-wielding maniacs. Elvis is not a maniac and he is very much a human being. What this film deals with is the horrors that human beings are capable of, given the right (or wrong) circumstances.I can imagine that this film might not be to everyone's tastes. It is slow moving to begin with, and the subject matter is often unpleasant (including the incestuous relationship that forms between Elvis and his half-sister). However, if you're not put off by the plot description, it is a well written and well acted movie (Hurt is in his best role in years and Bernal is always excellent) that takes some interested turns along the way. It's definitely worth giving a try.

Reminiscent of a Flannery O'Connor short story, this beautifully filmed, well-acted drama is a vehicle for great actors to practice their art. Far from pleasant, and redemption elusive, the first viewing of The King is likely to shock and upset. While the main character commits one atrocity after another, and renders the story unbelievable as a "true-to-life narrative," the film avoids cliché, and does paint true-to-life tableaus of southern protestant Christianity (without damning it), and of a psychopath who finds no discernible remorse for his crimes. It's easy to understand why critics were divided in their assessment of The King. It is NOT a film I recommend to the faint of heart. However, if you value Southern Gothic literature, and excellent filmmaking, then The King is a film well worth your time.

This is an excellent and disturbing drama about a young man "Elvis" seeking his biological father. Turns out he is the son of a prostitute and current pastor who has repented for his younger days of sin. The father dismisses the young man out of shame for his sin. The young man decides to get even by seducing the pastor's teenage daughter - his half-sister. The violence escalates and it was hard to determine whether "Elvis" had a master plan of destruction for his father's new family or simply tragic circumstances that spiralled out of control. Well-crafted and extremely strong cast which left more questions than answers at the finale.

There is only one sympathetic character in this movie, and he makes an early and untimely exit. Everyone else is a self-centered cypher without any balancing redeeming quality, making this one of the most depressing movies I've seen. Even Gael Garcia Bernal, normally a nuanced performer, comes off as a one-dimensional near psychopath. Maybe if you have a fetish about watching a couple having sex while fully clothed, this might be your bag.

I enjoyed the story of that movie. Very good acting.

A great film showing how religious bigotry can ruin one's own life

This is a truly amazing piece of film making, constantly engaging and surprising in equal measure, (the end blew me away).The excellent cast, from G.G.Bernal Amores Perros [2001 ]and Paul Dano There Will Be Blood (Single Disc Edition) [2007 ] to W. Hurt A History of Violence [2005 ], L.E. Harring Mulholland Drive [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC) , and Pell James (who surely has great career potential) transform what could have been merely a good drama into something truly sublime.If you enjoyed any of the actors in the above film links you need to see this film. If you enjoy this film check out those.The aspect ratio and extras content is identical (2.35:1 anamorphic) on the region 1 and 2, although the region 2 has DTS5.1.Strangely, the Tartan 'rental copy' has only DD5.1 (no extras) but the aspect ratio is 1.85:1 anamorphic, opening up more at the bottom of the frame and retaining all information from the 2.35:1 framing. Amores Perros [2001There Will Be Blood (Single Disc Edition) [2007A History of Violence [2005Mulholland Drive [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Quel film! Etonnant, dérangeant , admirablement interprété. Gael Garcia Bernal, une fois de plus, montre toute l'étendue de son talent, de sa puissance d'interprétation. Un film dans lequel il n'y ni bons ni méchants, amoral, viscéral . Un ovni! pour cinéphiles.

Surprenant film . .....a voir et revoir et à posséder absolument ....Gael ,comme toujours est un acteur criant de vérité....le sous titre n est absolument pas génant tant on est pris dans ce film bizarre......Merci Gael....