agmtw logo
search
Becoming King (2024)

Becoming King (2024)

It’s an admirable passion project, but this documentary tracking David Oyelowo’s seven-year journey to playing MLK holds little interest for the general viewer

6.5

Movie

United States of America
English
Documentary
2024
FEMALE DIRECTOR, JESSICA OYELOWO
Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo
66 min

TLDR

I would be terrified to learn my partner has been recording me for years for a project, but to each their own I suppose!

What it's about

Follows actor David Oyelowo as he painstakingly makes his dreams of playing Martin Luther King, Jr. in the film Selma a reality.

The take

As emotional and personal as it is, Becoming King is just too dewy-eyed and close to the source to have any bearing on those who are not all that interested in learning about the immersion process a Hollywood actor goes through. Jessica Oyelowo admittedly has an interesting story on her hands: that of her husband David Oyelowo (whose name literally means “respect the king”) fulfilling his seven-year dream of playing Martin Luther King, Jr. His journey is a combination of grit, talent, and what appears to be fate and destiny, and it is nothing short of inspiring, especially for aspiring actors. But there is an inherent bias in depicting this story as magical and heroic, without the thorny nuances other more distant filmmakers might’ve included. For one, it barely tackles class and race, and when it does, the discussions are short, superficial, and only in service to the real conflict of the documentary, which is whether or not Oyelowo achieves his acting dreams. It feels shortsighted in the way some passion projects can be, bolstered by limited funds and even fewer eyes to critique it. It’s well-meaning and personal, and it can serve as a helpful resource to those who want to know how to get into the industry. But for the general viewer, the documentary offers little more than standard information on the actor and his breakthrough film.

What stands out

The movie is Jessica Oyelowo’s first foray into documentary filmmaking, and despite the flaws mentioned above, there are signs of a promising career ahead. Even before knowing she’d be making a documentary, we see her already picking up a camera and having the instinct to interview relevant people and capture revealing behind-the-scenes moments. Knowing the limited budget docs work with, she leans into the home video aesthetic quite well and turns in something with a rugged charm to it. Given that she reworks her focus next time, I’m excited to see more of her work.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Hail Satan? (2019)

Forget everything you think you know about the Satanic Temple

8.0

Short Term 12 (2013)

Sweet, slow-moving, and possibly life-changing, this American drama shines the light on the chaos and crises of social work in America

9.9

Booksmart (2019)

Two academic overachievers from high school set out to prove that they're a smart and fun for one last time.

9.0

The Edge of Democracy (2019)

Mixing personal history with hardcore journalism, this is the story of Brazil's fragile democracy.

9.0

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Viggo Mortensen is fantastic in this plot-twisting drama about a survivalist American family

9.5

Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

A darkly hilarious portrait of the inevitability of death

7.9

Handsome Devil (2016)

A sweet and easy coming-of-age comedy

8.0

Shéhérazade (2018)

French City of God

8.6

Rebel Ridge (2024)

A suspenseful, veristic crime story about abusive police with action film tropes to prevent you from dissociating

8.5

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Finds magic in the ordinary every day—and reminds us the most special art is that which comes from the heart

8.3

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.