2016 ( Czech Republic | UK | USA ) ( Biography, Drama, Romance )
STARRING: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Tom Felton
DIRECTOR: Amma Asante
It’s 1947 and Prince of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) is studying in London when he meets and falls head over heels for headstrong office worker Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike). Marriage follows, but ugly reality soon sets in. Their unlikely union is seen as a slap in the face to the royal traditions of Seretse’s people and – to make matters much, much worse – a bigoted British government all too eager to bend to the will of apartheid-era South Africa. Can love conquer all?
Humour is used to prevent things from becoming a little too earnest with plenty of laughs coming at the expense of the sneering British diplomats who are often made to look like bumbling fools.
Well-acted, beautifully shot, and solidly crafted, this true-life romance between an English office clerk and the future king of Botswana is a crowd-pleasing gem.
(1hr 51min)