The King (2006) (R) ★★★★

The King isn’t as great as it is jolting, and it’s one of the year’s greatest. Suddenly, “daring” Oscar winner Crash looks like some formulaic, contrived, big-studio jargon. Oh, wait…

Story

After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) heads home. With only his duffel bag and rifle, he seems an aimless and penniless drifter, but Elvis knows exactly where he’s going: Corpus Christi, Texas, to find his estranged father (William Hurt). Now a locally renowned pastor, David Sandow has absolved himself of any and all sins he committed before “becoming a Christian,” which includes his illegitimate son with whom he wants no contact. So Elvis goes behind the pastor’s back and forges a relationship with his pristine, naïve teenage daughter--and, in reality, Elvis’ half-sister--Malerie (Pell James). When her brother (Paul Dano), a teenager who wears the Bible on his sleeve, threatens to reveal their love affair, everything changes irrevocably.

Acting

If The King were to ever get more than a very limited release in American theaters, as many as three of the actors could vie for Oscar noms. Leading the way is Bernal (in his first English-speaking role), who may have the most esteemed resume of any contemporary actor (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Amores Perros, Bad Education, The Motorcycle Diaries and Cannes’ most buzzed-about film this year, Babel, are just a few). His Elvis is impenetrable, and still there’s a sense of menace--which is a feat no actor has pulled off this side of Brokeback Mountain; Oscar-worthy. Hurt, fresh off his Oscar nom for A History of Violence, again shows us why he’s one of the best, most versatile in the biz. He embodies a man whose crisis of faith is but the tip of the iceberg, following a role that couldn’t have been more the opposite; Oscar-worthy. James (Undiscovered) can’t quite succeed in obscuring her beauty, but she does everywhere else, lending a naïveté and an uncanny Southern accent to Malerie, who’s 13 years younger than James herself; Oscar-worthy. And Dano gives perhaps the most haunting, albeit very brief, performance as a misguided teenager hurt more than helped by his dad’s heavy hand.

Direction

The King will ruffle more than a few feathers in the Jerry Falwell--and perhaps George W. Bush--sect for its thinly veiled take on Christianity and religion altogether. Well praise the Lord! Finally someone has used the medium of film for something besides a CGI test drive, potentially spurring--dare we say--healthy debate in the process. That someone is British director James Marsh, who co-wrote the film with Milo Addica (Monster's Ball). Together, the two are careful to never assign condemnation to any one character, and they touch upon every single dark, almost gothic, theme imaginable, resulting in a film as engrossing as it is galvanizing. And the cinematography is so beautiful it surpasses CGI, with landscapes so lush and vivid they look surreal. All of these elements pooled together form a story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet or something Faulkner might concoct if he were around. But, again, for its sinful look at Christianity, good luck finding it in (American) theaters.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 4 stars.