WEDDED MISS
The true tale of an African prince & his lady love is sweet but lacks spark
Atouching love story that gets sidelined by a tiresome intrafamily African political dispute, “A United Kingdom” has a big heart that beats far too slowly.
In 1947 London, white British girl Ruth (Rosamund Pike) falls for a black law student Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), who turns out to be the crown prince of a tiny British colony, Bechuanal (which is now Botswana).
Her father says he’ll never speak to her again, but she dares to strike out on her own, agreeing to marry her beau just as he’s about to be crowned king of his country.
Not so fast, insists his uncle (Vusi Kunene), the regent, who says the prince must marry his own kind. He demands that either the pair divorce or that his nephew renounce all claims to the throne and leave the country. Seretse agrees to leave the country while he plots his return.
Directed with great earnestness and obviousness by Amma Asante, “A United Kingdom” falls into the same trap as many similar-themed movies: As its lead characters take a stance against prejudice, they’re so noble and symbolically important that they’re also two-dimensional and boring. It doesn’t help that the middle-aged stars are more than a decade older than the plucky young naifs they’re playing: In reality, Ruth and Seretse were in their mid20s when they took a chance on love.
Moreover, the threeway squabble among uncle, nephew and a British colonial administration that wants stability in a region rich with natural resources quickly becomes repetitive, taking up most of the movie. For a romance about starcrossed lovers, “A United Kingdom” is way too much like a backroom cabinet meeting.