Filled to the brim with melodrama and tabloid antics, Hyde Park on Hudson comes off more like an episode of Dallas than anything else as it attempts to ignite interest with its failed attempt to mesh comedy and drama into one tired historical account.
Historically the film takes place in June of 1939, when the King and Queen of Britain pay a visit to President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt in hopes of earning his support with the forthcoming war. But the film's central story involves none of this as we experience the events through the eyes of Daisy, the president's intimate confidant...and distant cousin.
For what it is worth, Hyde Park on Hudson survives thanks to presence of both Samuel West and Olivia Colman, who both bring about a soft, humorous tone to the otherwise slow and mud-ridden story. Their dialogue is quick and witty as their chemistry beams loudly, placing a serious question mark on that of our two supposed lovers.
Murray's portrayal of FDR wasn't bad per se, but he doesn't come close to carrying the film as his character never fully develops into anything, instead opting to stay one dimensional in the safe confines of the screen. It isn't Murray's fault for his lack of adequate material, but he can't escape the entire situation unharmed.
The film does show some life during the king and queen's stay, but the excitement is short lived. Roger Michell takes his little indie project a bit too seriously and never fully allows it to flourish by keeping a tight rein on his key players from start to finish. By the end, you realize that while the central story could have made for a great film, Hyde Park on Hudson is not it.
