THE KING'S CHOICE is based on the true the story about three dramatic days in April 1940, where the King of Norway is presented with an unimaginable ultimatum from the German armed forces: surrender or die. With Nazi soldiers hunting after them, the Royal Family is forced to flee the capital. In the best interest of the family, the Crown Princess Märtha leaves Norway with the children to seek refuge in Sweden, whilst King Haakon and the Crown Prince Olav flee to a small farming area just outside Elverum and meet the Germans head on. After three days of desperately trying to evade the Germans, King Haakon makes his final decision. He refuses to capitulate, even if it may cost him, his family and many Norwegians their lives.
"The King's Choice" is a dramatic tale about a pivotal World War II moment, a story infused with tension and psychological conflict that's all the more engrossing for being fresh to us.
A deeply affecting story on a personal level, not only full of suspense and tension but also emotion. If Dunkirk is this year's Big World War Two film about the planes and the boats, this is the one about the people.
... the film turns out to be a beautifully photographed and thoughtful nail-biter, suspenseful in a way that illuminates what must have been Norway's most terrifying moments.
Proceeds in the manner of any number of war epics of the 1960s, sluggishly charting how the ostensibly ceremonial king acquired real negotiating power during a crisis - and had the resolve to lead his country into war.
Director Erik Poppe's handling of complicated material - diplomacy amid invasion, familial struggles amid national strife, political machinery clanking along amid explosions - is clear and sure.
It's handsomely mounted, extremely well-acted and tells a little-known story of bravery on the part of one man daringly taking on the might of the Third Reich.
Set up like a suspense thriller, with on-screen titles that count down the minutes - not days or weeks - "The King's Choice" has the feel of a film that probably played better in its native country.