Critic Reviews

It's a tender love story that never goes soft on its provocations. It's a defiant cry from the heart.

Rosamund Pike is adorable, if a little too ethereal and flighty.

The chemistry between the two actors is a pleasure.

Bolstered by real events and true emotion, A United Kingdom opts for genuine, hard-won feeling, and the film studiously backs off from cheesy moments or over-the-top revelations.

It’s their quiet devotion and enduring dignity that give A United Kingdom not just a romantic center, but its soul.

Maybe any biopic risks naïveté in suggesting the agony of postwar Africa can be soothed by a love story about a handsome prince. But this movie has candour, heartfelt self-belief, and an unfashionable conviction that love conquers all - though not immediately.

Though Asante is no stylist or and no very deep psychologist, she is adept at reaching an audience through direct storytelling.

It glides romantically along on the surface while political turmoil boils away underneath. Its plea for tolerance isn’t subtle, but it’s a story that deserves to be told.

While her filmmaking style can sometimes come across as staid, [Ms. Asante's] sense of pace is always acute. The best reason to see A United Kingdom, however, is the performance by Mr. Oyelowo.

A United Kingdom hits all of the necessary emotional notes and political intrigue of a solid historical figure drama.