A United Kigdom

We screened Belle towards the end of last year and I thought that it was superb, so I was really looking forward to seeing A United Kingdom as I'd missed it in the cinema.

I was not in the least disappointed: it was just as good as I'd hoped and truly epic in its scope without losing focus on the loving relationship at its core.

Here are my notes:

A United Kingdom

UK 2016          111 minutes

Director:          Amma Asante

Starring:            David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Terry Pheto, Jack Davenport and Tom Felton

Awards and Nominations

• Best Supporting Actress nomination for Terry Pheto at the British Independent Film Awards
• A further four nominations

“With terrific warmth and idealism – and irresistible storytelling relish – director Amma Asante gives us a romantic true story from our dowdy postwar past. And with some style and wit, she even revives the spirit and showmanship of Richard Attenborough, who I think would have really enjoyed this gutsy movie.”

Peter Bradshaw

Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) is studying law in London after the Second World War when he meets and falls in love with Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike), whom he marries despite the protests of both families. Khama is the heir to the throne of Bechuanaland and their return to his home country plunges the kingdom into political and diplomatic turmoil.

The film is a true story based on the book Colour Bar by Susan Williams, and is a co-production with David Oyelowo’s independent production company which he set up to produce films for him to star in.  Although he is now based in the USA he was born in the UK to Nigerian parents and began his screen career with a leading role in the TV series Spooks (2002-2004); prior to this he was an established stage actor and played numerous major roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company where his roles included the king in Henry VI, the first time a black actor had played an English king in a major Shakespeare production. In cinema he has played supporting roles in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Lincoln (2013), The Butler (2013) and Queen of Katwe (2016) Before his starring role in this film his most acclaimed cinema performance was as Martin Luther King in Selma (2014); he received many nominations and awards for this performance, although controversially not an Oscar nomination.

Amma Asante trained as an actress and dancer where her early appearances include a role as a regular character in Grange Hill. She made her name as a director with the acclaimed Belle (2013), her second feature film, which Mark Kermode named as his fourth favourite film of 2014. A United Kingdom received its premier when it opened the London Film Festival in October 2016 and was also linked to the BFI’s Black Star season, a programme “celebrating the range, versatility and power of black actors”.

Here's a link to the trailer: