• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Aug 24, 2016 By Julia Bembenek Web Exclusive

My King is a film about love as an individual experience. Tony (Emmanuelle Bercot), secluded in a coastal rehab facility as she recovers from a skiing accident, uses her removal from everyday routines as an opportunity to look back on her life with and without her lover and erstwhile partner Georgio (Vincent Cassel). Her analysis starts at the beginning, weaving from her chance meeting of Georgio at a nightclub, through their hot and heavy courtship, to marriage, family, and beyond, returning to Tony’s present every so often as we see her heal. The metaphor inherent in this structure is pretty transparent, as are some of the pop-psychology platitudes strewn about, but this is a love story after all. At the very least, this conceit keeps the perspective specifically Tony’s.

Where My King succeeds the most is in the chemistry between Bercot and Cassel. All flashing teeth, intense gazes, and well-placed wit, it’s easy to see why Georgio is seductive. Tony’s charm is also clear and self-possessed, though quieter. She isn’t afraid to swim in Georgio’s currents, though his mercurial shifts certainly take their toll. Director Maiwenn leaves flashy style to the side, instead skillfully navigating the fine line between believable emotionality and overplayed melodrama. Though the central relationship goes to some almost unbelievable and unforgivable lengths, My King leaves a nostalgic longing and wistful acknowledgement of the inevitability of change—bittersweet universal effects of love.

Author rating: 7.5/10