The Lost King (5 Stars)

This is a true story based on recent events. They've been telescoped in the film. The events seem to take place within the space of a few weeks, but it was actually 15 years, from 1998 to 2013.

Philippa Langley is a divorced woman who lives in Edinburgh with her two sons. She still has a good relationship with her ex-husband, who visits her every day to help with the children. She suffers from a health condition called ME, myalgic encephalomyelitis, which leads to chronic fatigue. Having never heard of this illness I read about it online, and there seems to be disagreement about whether it's an illness in its own right or the symptoms of other illnesses. Whichever is the case, it has an effect on Philippa's life which she has to deal with on a daily basis.

After seeing a production of Shakespeare's play "King Richard III", Philippa becomes fascinated with Richard. He's described as an ugly, deformed man who killed his nephews in order to become king. Philippa doubts this description is accurate. She thinks Shakespeare wrote the play basing his information on the propaganda of the Tudor kings who replaced him. She begins to do research into his life. In particular, she tries to find his grave. His body disappeared after he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

During her research she faces resistance from scholars and historians who think they know better than her. Another problem, if it can be called a problem, is that she has frequent visions of Richard III himself. He talks to her and encourages her to continue with her research. Is it possible that these visions were the result of her chronic fatigue? The film doesn't answer this question.

"The Lost King" is one of the best films of 2023. Sally Hawkins' performance as Philippa Langley is outstanding. I've long been a fan of the director Stephen Frears, especially his adaptations of true stories. "The Lost King" is a welcome change to the modern blockbuster movies which use big action scenes to distract from weak plots.