The Lost King

“The Lost King” is based on true events. The king in question is Richard III, who ruled England from 1483-1485. What’s lost are his corporeal remains. The consensus among historians was that his body was gone forever, thrown into a river after he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth. Philippa Langley disagreed.Philippa (Sally Hawkins in another Oscar-worthy role) is easy to dismiss. She is small in stature, quiet, unassuming and has no formal training in history or archaeology. She has an ex-husband, two sons, a debilitating chronic illness and an unfulfilling job with a marketing company in Edinburgh. One evening, she takes one of her sons to see Shakespeare’s “Richard III” and finds the character (and perhaps the actor) captivating. The king begins to appear to her as an apparition. Feeling affinity for this historic figure who was disparaged by Shakespeare as a usurper, a murderer and a hunchback, Langley joins The Richard III Society [Edinburgh Branch]. After extensive reading and research, she becomes convinced that the king’s body can be found. She crowdsources funding for an archeological dig at the most likely location.Langley’s book “The Search for Richard III” chronicles these and subsequent events. Writers Steve Coogan (who plays Philippa’s ex in the film) and Jeff Pope, along with Director Stephen Frears (“Philomena”), have used this source material to craft a thoughtful, sweet, compelling narrative. At its core, this is a story about an ordinary person who rouses herself to do the extraordinary, finally finding a purpose in life in the process. This film is in many ways a testament to hard work and tenacity, leavened by Philippa’s stubborn unwillingness to accept conventional wisdom. She shows unyielding but polite determination as she encounters skepticism, rejection and condescension while marching toward her **** film also confirms that the winners get to write history. The House of Tudor began its reign over England because of its success in the Battle of Bosworth, which ended the dynasty of the House of York. Unsurprisingly, the Tudors chose to portray the vanquished and now terminally dead Richard III in the worst possible light. The truth, finally acknowledged by the royal family because of Philippa’s efforts, is that Richard III was a legitimate heir to the throne. Also, his skeleton reveals he was not a disfigured hunchback, but a man with a case of scoliosis. There are a couple of missteps in the plotting. The regular appearances of Richard III in full regalia offer a tone of whimsy, while doing little to add momentum to the narrative. And the film has created controversy by going out of its way to disparage the University of Leicester, which admittedly stole the spotlight, marginalized Philippa and diminished her role in a project she initiated. These digressions are unfortunate. This story of a quirky, remarkable woman’s fight to find her voice, by itself, is quite sufficient.

Lembrei do filme "A escavação", que por sinal também é britânico, e isso é o melhor do filme, a cultura britânica, o apreço a Shakespeare, à arqueologia, à história da Monarquia. É uma história real sobre a descoberta dos restos mortais de Ricardo III, cujo corpo fora encontrado em um estacionamente aberto em 2012. Não sei até que ponto tudo é verdadeiro, desde a coincidência do "R" no chão do estacionamento às elocubrações da protagonista sobre a personalidade do rei e o conflito com a dinastia dos Tudors, além da breguice que foi ver o embate maniqueísta com a Universidade (ponto baixo do filme).