London Film Festival Day 1: A United Kingdom, The Red Turtle & More

4. A United Kingdom

Though it doesn't quite live up to all that Oscar hype, Amma Asante's (Belle) love story revolving around the condemned romance between the incumbent King of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), and a British woman he meets in London, Ruth (Rosamund Pike), is a fascinating look at institutional racism, the dangers of clinging to tradition, and love in the face of adversity.

As expected, Oyelowo is a force of nature here, giving a striking, often intense performance while he and Pike exhibit superb chemistry throughout, as is necessary for the movie's potentially frothy conceit to actually come off convincingly.

While it definitely plays things a little safe in skewing towards the Oscar set, it's still ultimately an affecting, often infuriating slice of history that can't help but fascinate in even its slower moments.

Rating: It doesn't hit all its markers, but with solid direction, a great lead performance and an undeniable passionate respect for the facts, A United Kingdom is a respectable festival opener. 7/10