The Lost King

A magnificent performance by Sally Hawkins in the true story of a workaday British woman who was determined to find the true body and soul of King Richard III.

Christopher Lloyd

Mar 22

Cross-post

I saw “The Lost King” nearly half a year ago at the Heartland Film Festival, and I’m amazed at how vividly I’m able to recall the movie — especially the emotions I felt while seeing it. That’s usually a good indication of the excellence of any film: how long it lingers with you.

It stars Sally Hawkins as Philippa Langley in a somewhat dramatized depiction of her real-life quest to find the body of King Richard III, and have his reputation restored from that of the dastardly hunchbacked usurper depicted in Shakespeare’s play.

Langley was literally a nobody, somebody without credentials or experience in archaeology or history. Passed over for a promotion at work that she suspects is due to her struggles with chronic fatigue syndrome, she attends a production of the play that moves her, causing her to identify with someone also unfairly maligned.

Resembling the actor who played him onstage, the actual Richard (Harry Lloyd) begins appearing to Philippa in visions. Rather than being spiteful and grotesque, he is truly noble and sad. Philippa meets with members of the Richard III Society, who believe he was the true, legitimate king.

From there, Philippa’s quest takes her further and further away from her normal life. She stops going to work and hides her investigation from her children and ex-husband, who is played by Steve Coogan. Coogan also co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope, based upon a book by Langley and Michael Jones. As per these sorts of stories, the spouse figure is there to complain about all the time the person is spending on their obsession, though they ultimately come around and lend their support.

Things go on. Eventually Philippa compiles enough evidence to convince a famed archaeologist, Richard Buckley (Mark Addy), to apply for a dig permit in Leicester. The University of Leicester initially lends their support and funding, though the pertinent administrator (Lee Ingleby) will later have second thoughts.

She does get some help from John Ashdown-Hill (James Fleet), a noted historian who has been tracing the genealogy of Richard III down to living descendants.

Directed by Stephen Frears (“Dangerous Liaisons”), “The Lost King” is essentially a whodunit that’s less about figuring out the mystery of Richard’s true disposition as a journey of resolve and self-recreation by Philippa Langley. Here is someone who no one seems to believe in — least of all herself. But somewhere she finds the courage to chase a flashing zephyr of a dream.

It’s another marvelous performance by Sally Hawkins, one of the most empathetic actresses working in film today. She has a way of imbuing seemingly mundane, everyday women with almost supernatural levels of hidden strength and capability. We can’t help but root for Philippa.

The past is always part of us, even the bits that have been hidden or distorted. History’s lessons endure, and cinematic depictions of it that lift us up do, too.