In cinemas nationwide

A United Kingdom is the moving account of the real-life relationship between Prince Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) of the British protectorate of Bechuanaland (now known as Botswana) and white working-class Londoner Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike). The film charts their story from their initial courtship in post-war London to Seretse’s struggle to return to his homeland after being exiled by the British government due to his marriage to Ruth.

Amma Asante builds on her confident handling of historical subject matter seen in her last film Belle (2013), utilising sweeping helicopter shots of the Botswana landscape and atmospheric streetlamp-lit long shots of Seretse and Ruth embracing in London. The only misfire comes in the form of the inclusion of obviously computer-generated spinning newspaper headlines to communicate occasional plot developments, which appear to belong in a low-budget YouTube video rather in a theatrical release.

Oyelowo and Pike both give strong performances in the roles of Seretse and Ruth and share an undoubted romantic chemistry that adds to their scenes together. Oyelowo in particular manages to capture the resilient yet vulnerable nature of Seretse, which can be seen in his exchanges with his uncle Tshekedi (Vusi Kunene) about the threat his interracial marriage poses to his claim to the throne. Pike provides Ruth with a initial naivety upon falling in love with Seretse against the will of her parents which gradually disappears when she must confront the casual racism of the British authorities represented by civil servant Alistair Canning (Jack Davenport) and colonial district commissioner Rufus Lancaster (Tom Felton).

Guy Hibbert’s screenplay manages to balance the romance between Seretse and Ruth alongside the political context behind Seretse’s exile without compromising either aspect of the narrative. This political aspect includes scenes involving British politicians, involving Prime Minister Clement Attlee, debating whether to risk angering the apartheid regime of South Africa by allowing Seretse to return to Bechuanaland and Seretse discovering that his absence would allow the colonial authorities to take advantage of the country’s natural resources. The inclusion of this element into the narrative expands the film from being just a simple love story and allows Asante to criticise the self-serving nature of British colonialism.

A United Kingdom is an emotionally-involving depiction of an interracial relationship that combines historical events with three-dimensional characterisation, making it an ideal Christmas watch in these uncertain post-Brexit times.