The Lost King review

 

An unlikely but true story, this charming film depicts the long search by an ordinary housewife to locate and unearth the grave of Richard the Third, a King whose reputation reasts largely on Shakespeare’s interpretation of him. History tells us Richard was “ a usurper” who only became monarch my  murdering two princes whose claim to the throne was stronger. And he was a hunchback too and is often to be seen portrayed as a grotesque. It’s a version Philippa herself sees in a production in Edinburgh where she lives with her two sons and estranged husband played by Steve Coogan who also co-wrote the script.

Film Review- The Phantom of the Open

Genial film tells an unlikely yet true story

In 1976 a Barrow in Furness crane operator called Maurice Flitcroft managed to enter the British Open golf tournament despite not being a professional golfer. In fact, he’d never even played a proper round of golf before. His eventual score became the worst ever recorded in the competition yet made him one of those underdogs that become popular because they try, a sort of Eddie the Eagle of the green. In this genial and often funny account his story is now immortalised by screenwriter Simon Farnaby and director Craig Roberts. The result is an enjoyable tale of  optimism, determination and being a bit sneaky!