THE KING

A very different take on the story of King Henry V from the one we're used to seeing; you know the one a certain Mr Shakspeare has served up. As might be expected from a director who as already given us "Animal Kingdom" and "The Rover" there's a whiff of the gangster to be found here. These are the courts not of the high born but of the common, men who have fought their way to the throne through muddy fields of blood while Michod's vision of medieval Europe seems wholly accurate without being overdone.

Of course, this is a Henry far removed from the nobility of an Olivier or a Branagh. Chalamet's Henry is certainly noble but he's also much more of a pragmatist, prepared to think first and act later, unlike Robert Pattinson's over-the-top and somewhat camp Dauphin; the contrast between them is beautifully delivered. The other main character is, naturally, Falstaff who, in Joel Edgerton's superb performance, is a much more subdued presence than we have seen before. Indeed the acting throughout is outstanding as is the screenplay co-written by Michod and Edgerton, while the Battle of Agincourt is as fierce and as bloody as any battle ever put on film. In an age of Marvel movies "The King" might seem like a fish out of water but it's unquestionably one of the best films of the year.