The second film about a famous U.S. President to be released recently, Hyde Park On Hudson uses an historic event, the first time a reigning English King and Queen set foot on American soil, as a back drop to tell a smaller, more personal story. Told through the eyes of Margaret 'Daisy' Suckley (Laura Linney), distant cousin to Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray), the movie chronicles her friendship and eventual affair with the president.
There is a lot of wit and charm on display here, but sadly a mishandled story severely hurts the movie. It starts off well enough, Daisy's initial meeting with the president providing enough of a hook to grab your attention, but soon after that, it begins spinning it's wheels, a dull chemistry between Murray and Linney not helping matters any. It's not till King George VI (Samuel West) and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Coleman) make their way to the titular estate, FDR's summer home, that the story picks up, veering almost into culture clash comedy territory. There is a lot of humour on display, especially from West (almost succeeding at making people forget this character was played much better by Colin Firth in The King's Speech) whose befuddlement at the American way of life brings most of the laughs, though they are more of a quiet chuckle than out and out belly laughs. But again, this section of the story fizzles out, quickly going back to Daisy and FDR's lifeless romance. The monarch's visit is trivial to proceedings, to me only present to provide some historical context. The fact it cumulates in an argument about hot dogs, then is thrown away pretty soon after that, backs me up. Between the slapdash story, there are some very good scenes, showcasing the talented actor's assembled here, but sadly they are few and far between.
Bill Murray is on top form here, giving his all as FDR. He is extremely charming and tender in the role, reminding us all he has a wider range than just playing the sardonic smart-ass. His scenes with Samuel West are extremely touching, the two bonding over their disabilities (George's debilitating stutter and FDR's loss of motor function in his legs) and forging a believable friendship. As I said before, West does a good job as King George, getting the mannerisms and stutter down pat. He sparks off really well with Olivia Coleman, but the two of them just end feeling like the comic relief. Laura Linney is a greta actress, she has shown it time and time again, but she is just going through the motions here. Daisy as a character feels underwritten, and in what is supposed to be her story, she is surprisingly absent for much of the run time.
Some fantastic performance, especially from Murray, who thoroughly earns his Golden Globe nomination, go some way to help, but in the end, Hyde Park on Hudson suffers badly from a dull narrative.
