The King (2005)

Director:

James Marsh

Writers (WGA):

Milo Addica (written by) &
James Marsh (written by)

Release Date:

25 November 2005 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The devil made me do it.

Plot:

A troubled man, recently discharged from the Navy, goes to Corpus Christi, Texas, in search of the father he's never met.

Plot Keywords:

Pastor | Christian | Seduction | Corpus Christi Texas | Shower

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Gael García Bernal	...	Elvis
Derek Alvarado	...	Scoot
E. Matthew Buckley	...	Deck Officer (as Matthew Buckley)
Monica Peña	...	Brothel Manager (as Monica Pena)
Veronica Bernal	...	Elvis's Girl
Billy Joe Martinez	...	Mexican Salesman
Mohammad Ahmed	...	Mr. Chopra
Pell James	...	Malerie
Sally Allen	...	PA
Paul Dano	...	Paul
Laura Harring	...	Twyla
William Hurt	...	David
Roger Kunshick	...	Young Man with Flower
Ike Reilly	...	Rum Jungle Singer
Milo Addica	...	Bruno

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality involving a teen, some violence and language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:MA | UK:15 | USA:R | Portugal:M/16 | Hungary:16 | Japan:R-15 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:R21 | Malaysia:(Banned) | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

ContentFilm

Trivia:

Gael García Bernal is a year and a half younger than Pell James who plays a 16 year-old.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The movie takes place in Corpus Christi, Texas, but the pool that Elvis and Malerie visit is Barton Springs Pool, located in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas.

Movie Connections:

References The Last House on the Left (1972)

Soundtrack:

The Mexican Whistler

Astonishing

I loved this film. It has an ingenious plot with several more or less unexpected twists. Religion and guilt are major themes in the film; themes that I felt were examined with a seldomly seen open mindedness. The acting is strong from all characters, and the portrait of the characters adds realism to the story as they are portrayed in a very down-to-earth, human way. I felt I could identify with all the characters (religious beliefs apart) in the film. I also think it succeeds in executing what I gather was one of its resolutions; telling the story of a terrible event without passing too much judgment.

The performance of Gael Garcia Bernal is solid and that of Pell James wonderful. In my opinion the two played really well together, as did William Hurt and Gael Garcia Bernal. I went ahead and watched this film without knowing anything in beforehand (I went to the cinema and chose a name from the list) which I think was appropriate for this type of film. Having known a lot in beforehand could perhaps have made it more predictable and less good. The film is interesting also in the fact that scenes depicting what in reality would be very morbid are made beautiful, a fact that pulls the viewer into the lovely high where beautiful film-making makes you want to be a writer yourself. This is not something you'll want to miss out on!