Hyde Park on Hudson (2012): **

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (Bill Murray) estate in Hyde Park, New York is preparing for the arrival of King George VI (Samuel West) and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman). The royals are on a mission to build British-American relations on the brink of WWII. Observing some of the events unfolding from the side-line is Roosevelt’s mistress and confidant Daisy (Laura Linney). 

Hyde Park on Hudson is based on the secret letters and diaries of Daisy Suckley, yet the film’s biggest flaw is its split focus, between Daisy’s affair with Roosevelt and the worrying royal couple. Hyde Park on Hudson would have been more interesting if it had concentrated entirely on the relationship between Daisy and Franklin. Instead the audience are subject to conversations between Queen Elizabeth and King George, arguing over the diplomatic dilemma of eating a hotdog. Matters are not helped by the unlikeable characterisation of Elizabeth, written rather mean-spiritedly by Richard Nelson as uptight and dour. And that is coming from a republican. It is high treason to give such poor material to an actress as brilliant as Olivia Colman, who still miraculously manages to wring out some small laughs. Whilst Hyde Park on Hudson might be about the relationship between Daisy and Franklin, the two characters barely spend any time together on screen. When they are together, the majority of the time is spent crashing through the woods in Roosevelt’s car or Daisy helping Franklin with his administrative duties. The few intimate moments they share doesn’t shed much light on how they feel for each other nor deepens their emotional connection. Consequently, when the audience are witnessing what is supposed to be an emotional scene with Daisy, the audience is left feeling cold and does not care. 

The overall look of Hyde Park on Hudson is the definition of twee. Lol Crawley’s cinematography is full of countryside shots, with fields of purple flowers, yellow roads and sun-speckled forests. At times it feels like we are watching a commercial for laundry conditioner rather than a movie. Amusingly, Daisy’s banal narration has to remind us that the United States is still in a Depression, throwing in a couple of working class characters to mention how hard it is to find work before disappearing again. The audience would certainly never have guessed otherwise. Bizarrely though, Hyde Park on Hudson uses the shaky hand-camera technique several times in the film, which seems an odd choice compared to the rest of the slick, sweeping cinematography. Jeremy Sams’s tinkling piano and string score is exactly the kind of music you would expect for a historical film. 

Bill Murray has the best role in Hyde Park on Hudson on paper as Franklin Roosevelt, a womanizing president full of roguish charm and humour, to disguise his emotional sensitivity. Murray does his best with the menial script, as does the rest of the cast, but manages to make Roosevelt somewhat likeable. Poor Laura Linney is forced to deliver some dreary narration and cannot do much with her mousy role. Samuel West is fine as the unconfident King George, although West does overplay the stutter. Olivia Colman deserved better. 

Hyde Park on Hudson fails to deliver much humour or drama, despite having a stellar cast. Unless you are a die-hard Billy Murray fan, there is no need for you to visit Hyde Park on Hudson.