The White King

This dystopian dramaimagines a rural society governed by a brutal, oppressive dictatorship. Set in what appears to be the near-future, it takes place in the "Homeland", an unspecified nation (the source is Gyorgy Dragoman's novel about a communist country based on Romania) where the populace are monitored by surveillance cameras. For the most part, however, modern technology is absent and many buildings have fallen into disrepair. The main character is 12-year-old Djata(Lorenzo Allchurch)who witnesses his father being taken away by the authorities. As his mother (Agyness Deyn) tries to free her husband, the film offers a couple of effective scenes, including a tense sequence where Djata's grandfather (Jonathan Pryce) pressures him to shoot a cat. Unfortunately, though, The White King only springs to life when Pryce is on screen, which isn't often. The story intrigues but too much is left unexplained resulting in a drama that fails to satisfy.