Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie ‘King Richard’

Fierce determination for a just outcome in realizing talent against cultural obstacles brings us to the tennis world today. Dramatization of the role Richard Williams, Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price and their family experienced in aiding the rise of tennis players Venus Williams and Serena Williams as successful tennis players is the subject of the movie King Richard (2021).

(From left, Will Smith as Richard Williams and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

The Reinaldo Marcus Green directed movie King Richard focuses heavily on the role Richard Williams, as portrayed by Will Smith, had in parenting his two biological kids with Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price to elite levels in women’s tennis. Price, married to Richard through the period considered by the movie, was portrayed by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Williams was single-minded in raising Venus and Serena to be tennis players with as many level-setting advantages as they could get, which included efforts to steer his two biological and at points his three step daughters away from unhelpful elements in their Compton, California neighborhood. Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton portrayed Venus and Serena Williams, respectively.

(From left, Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams, Will Smith as Richard Williams, Demi Singleton as Serena Williams, Tony Goldwyn as Paul Cohen, Christopher Wallinger as John McEnroe and Chase Del Rey as Pete Sampras in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

While Brandy and Richard were skilled tennis players in their own right, there were thoughts that coaching from professionals with influence in professional, or amateur leading to professional, coaching would be better. This led Williams to bring his young daughters Venus and Serena to a practice Paul Cohen was administering for a pair of professionals on the men’s tennis tour. Cohen, portrayed by Tony Goldwyn, would agree to coach only one of the sisters for free. Venus received the professional coaching as Serena would be coached by Brandy, her mother.

(Five daughters lived in the home of Richard Williams and Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price at the beginning of King Richard. From left, Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew as Yetunde Price, Layla Crawford as Lyndrea Price, Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams, Daniele Lawson as Isha Price and Demi Singleton as Serena Williams were portrayed in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

An eventual disagreement over the personal effect that participating in tournaments, as Cohen recommended as the eventual means of the Williams daughters becoming professional, that led to drama within the tennis playing and human upbringing of the Williams sisters. Connecting to Rick Macci, as portrayed by Jon Bernthal, led the family to Florida for training. The strong wills of Rick Macci and Richard Williams would conflict frequently, yet a significant beauty of the King Richard landed for me in how this and the eventual results for the Williams‘ girls were portrayed for the family and in actual life.

(From left, Will Smith as Richard Williams and Jon Bernthal as Rick Macci in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

The underlying humanity and nuance in the King Richard story worked really well. Credit for this in part rests with the screenplay of Zach Baylin, along with the production of Will Smith and the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green. Having enjoyed the biography, the sports content, the humanity and the performances of Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, I give Reinaldo Marcus Green‘s King Richard 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, June 3, 2023

Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector and Amy Aquino in Season Two of ‘Bosch’

The Michael Connelly character Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch first premiered in a series of books in 1992. As this is written, the character has led to 24 distinct books and two distinct television shows. We focus here on the second season of the series Bosch (2014-2021), starring Titus Welliver in the title role for the series.

(From left, Brad Carter as Chilton Hardy and Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in the second season of Bosch).

The storyline for this season picks up six months after Harry Bosch‘s police unit in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California sought a serial killer in the show’s first season. The ten episodes of the second season were adapted from the Michael Connelly books The Last Coyote, Trunk Music and The Drop. The story sees Harry Bosch following a new case of a Hollywood film producer with potential connections to the mob. Information about the years-ago death of Bosch‘s mother introduces the possibility of driving the detective to distraction.

(From left and near lectern, Erika Alexander as Connie Irving, Lance Reddick as Irvin Irving, Steven Culp as Richard O’Shea and Leslie Stevens as Patricia O’Shea in season two of Bosch).

Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, Irvin Irving as portrayed by Lance Reddick, at first aims to stay above the details of the investigation that Harry is pursuing. Irving‘s son, portrayed by Robbie Jones with the character name George Irving, goes undercover on the force. Harry’s investigation heads to Las Vegas, Nevada as George’s experiences in plainclothes begin to introduce a set of considerations for the full Irving family.

(From left, Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar, Jeri Ryan as Veronica Allen and Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in the second season of Bosch).

Harry’s time in Nevada reveals that not all is well for Harry‘s ex-wife, Eleanor Wish as portrayed by Sarah Clarke, and her situation with her current husband. The child between Eleanor and Harry, Maddie Bosch as portrayed by Madison Lintz, in certain ways is caught in the middle of multiple situations. Deputy Chief Irving, meanwhile, chimes in with his support of the mayoral race by supporting Richard O’Shea. Steven Culp portrayed by mayoral candidate O’Shea.

(From left, Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar and Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in season two of Bosch).

While Deputy Chief Irving’s support for mayor begins to introduce some political fallout for the deputy chief, things too get messy between Bosch‘s murder investigation, the mob and his familial past. Bosch‘s encounter with mob boss Joey Marks, with roots in Armenia and as portrayed by Tom Mardirosian, lead to serious questions for what course to pursue. Bosch and his partner, Jerry Edgar as portrayed by Jamie Hector, pursue Marks while Bosch takes specific measures to protect his daughter and ex-wife.

(From left, John Marshall Jones as Jay Griffin and Sarah Clarke as Eleanor Wish in season two of Bosch).

Circumstances escalate severely in the familial lives of the Irving family and the Bosch / Wish family take unexpected and dark turns as the tensions elevate each family. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) brings in a surprise approach, through Jay Griffin as portrayed by John Marshall Jones, that prompts the LAPD officers to reconsider their original theories of the murder that opened this season. There are the threads of the murder investigation along with the FBI‘s interest in a potentially related set of crimes. There’s familial fallout for the Irvings, the Bosches and the Wishes sharply placed in focus against the trajectory for the mayoral campaign and violence that comes to call with the mob story that includes the tales of Veronica Allen, as portrayed by Jeri Ryan, and Carl Nash as portrayed by Brent Sexton.

(From left, Amy Aquino as Grace Billets and Madison Lintz as Maddie Bosch in Bosch).

The stakes in play for season two make for entertaining television. The tension is real, the characters have depth and character growth. Addressing the puzzle with Harry Bosch‘s mother was an appreciated twist. The investment in feelings among the characters makes for an engaging experience binging this season. I grant season two of Bosch as presented as an Amazon original series, 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, September 14, 2022