The Kings Choice tells a story not well know in the United States, but doubtless very well known in Norway concerning the actions of that nations King Haakon VII during the spring of 1940. While Haakon (Jesper Christensen, wonderfully grandfatherly in the part) and his son the Crown Prince Olav (Anders Baasmo Christiansen) had voiced their concerns about German aggression early on, as the Royal family only had a ceremonial role in the system of Norwegian government their warnings went unheeded. Then the German ships started arriving, extending the Nordic nation an offer of 'beneficent occupation', to 'protect them' from the British, traditional rivals of Norway but with whom they were at peace. The Royals and the cabinet were evacuated further inland and the nations elected government seemed unable to agree on a strategy, seeming to simply wish the issue would just go away. A man of restraint and a life defining sense of duty and decorum, Haakon no doubt surprised many when he found a way to use his ceremonial office to force his government to do the right thing, and stand up to the Germans, in short he did far more then George VI did in The Kings Speech. I will stop the narrative here though, I wouldn't want to spoil the details, this movie is worth seeking out, especially if your a World War II aficionado like a number of my friends, but at the lest I'd recommend Wikipediaing the story.
A finely made film with some strong performances, in addition to the central story there are subplots concerning a Norwegian navel officer who succeeded in sinking a German boat early on, briefly delaying the invasion, the German envoy to Norway reluctantly carrying out his governments orders, and a teenage solder who shares a brief moment with the King that inspires him to an act of bravery on the battlefield. Inspiring stories like these, especially when they are ones that you are not already familiar with, can be among the most satisfying types of movie watching experiences, and if subtitles aren't a deal breaker for you, I'd really recommend The Kings Choice. ****
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