A United Kingdom

A United Kingdom

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Amma Asante
Produced by
  • Brunson Green
  • Charlie Mason
  • Rick McCallum
  • Cameron McCracken
  • Justin Moore-Lewy
  • David Oyelowo
Screenplay by Guy Hibbert
Starring
Music by Patrick Doyle
Cinematography Sam McCurdy
Edited by Jonathan Amos
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 9 September 2016 (2016-09-09) (TIFF)
  • 25 November 2016 (2016-11-25) (United Kingdom)
  • 17 February 2017 (2017-02-17) (United States)
Running time
 111 minutes[4]
Country
  • United Kingdom
Language English

A United Kingdom is a British[5] biographical romantic drama film directed by Amma Asante and starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike. The screenplay, by Guy Hibbert, is based on the true-life romance between Sir Seretse Khama and his wife Ruth Williams Khama.[6]

It was screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival,[7] and was the opening film at the 60th London Film Festival; the second year in a row that a British film featured.[8]

Plot

Based on a true story, Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) is the Prince of Bechuanaland (now Botswana). In 1948 he meets and falls in love with London office worker Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike). But their interracial relationship is not approved of by either of their families, nor by the British and South African governments. Seretse and Ruth must defy family, apartheid and the British empire to return from an imposed exile to their African kingdom, and assume power after independence.

Cast

Production

Pike joined the cast in May 2015, with Asante joining shortly afterwards.[9]

In September 2015 Asante revealed that shooting would be split between Botswana and London, and that it would begin in October in preparation for a 2016 release coinciding with the 50th anniversary of independence in Botswana.[10]

In October 2015 actors Jack Davenport and Tom Felton joined the cast.[11]

In November 2015 some filming took place around Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens including Imperial College Union.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2016.[12] It will also screen at the BFI London Film Festival on 6 October 2016.[13][14] Shortly after, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired U.S distribution rights to the film.[15] The film will be released in the United Kingdom on 25 November 2016.[16] It will be released in the United States on 17 February 2017.[17]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91%, based on 22 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Well-acted, solidly crafted, and all-around worthy, A United Kingdom presents an absorbing look at a singular true-life love story."[18] On Metacritic the film has a score of 67 out of 100 score, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/579dce25a7eec
  2. ↑ http://collider.com/a-united-kingdom-trailer-david-oyelowo-rosamund-pike/
  3. ↑ http://www.pathe.co.uk/filmdetail.aspx?section=cs&view=s&filmId=742
  4. ↑ "A United Kingdom (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  5. ↑ http://film.britishcouncil.org/a-united-kingdom
  6. ↑ Kit, Borys. "'Belle' Filmmaker to Direct David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike in 'A United Kingdom' (Exclusive)". Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  7. ↑ "Toronto To Open With 'The Magnificent Seven'; 'La La Land', 'Deepwater Horizon' Among Galas & Presentations". Deadline. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  8. ↑ Korsner, Jason. "A United Kingdom To Open London Film Festival 2016". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  9. ↑ Jaafar, Ali. "Rosamund Pike In Talks To Join David Oyelowo In 'A United Kingdom' : Cannes". Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  10. ↑ Malefho, Lame. "Batswana being auditioned for Sir Seretse Khama movie". Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  11. ↑ Barraclough, Leo. "'Pirates of the Caribbean' Star Jack Davenport Boards Amma Asante's 'A United Kingdom' (EXCLUSIVE)". Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "A United Kingdom". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  13. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (21 June 2016). "Amma Asante's 'A United Kingdom' to Open BFI London Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "A United Kingdom". BFI London Film Festival. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  15. ↑ Lang, Brent; Seetoodeh, Ramin (15 September 2016). "Toronto: Fox Searchlight in Final Talks for 'A United Kingdom' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  16. ↑ Murthi, Vikram (25 August 2016). "'A United Kingdom' Trailer: David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike Fight For Love & Country". Indiewire.com. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  17. ↑ Pederson, Erik (September 30, 2016). "Fox Searchlight Bringing 'A United Kingdom' To North America". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  18. ↑ "A United Kingdom (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  19. ↑ "A United Kingdom reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 20, 2016.

External links

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