Chance to win movie bundles for A UNITED KINGDOM (OUT NOW!), the true story of an interracial marriage that inspired the world - read our reviews! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Ahead of the UK release of the acclaimed new film A UNITED KINGDOM on 25 November, around 30 lucky MNers were able to see a preview of the film.

Read on for their reviews.

If you didn't attend, there's a chance to win one of three movie bundle packs (containing a signed poster, a Bluray bundle - with Suffragette, Selma and Mandela as well as a copy of the book that the film is based upon), by sharing on this thread the most romantic thing you and your partner have ever done, the most extreme measure you or a partner have ever undertaken to be together or a story that inspires you where love has conquered all.


‘SENSATIONAL, UPLIFTING…THE MOST ROMANTIC FILM OF THE YEAR’ (Metro)
‘UMMISSABLE…A LOVE STORY FOR THE AGES’ (Daily Mail)
[5 star] (The Times)

From director Amma Asante (Belle), starring David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and set against the breath-taking backdrops of the African savannah and period London, A UNITED KINGDOM celebrates the inspiring real-life romance of Seretse Khama, King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London office worker he married in 1948 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the British and South African governments. One of the greatest love stories ever told. Other cast includes Tom Felton (Harry Potter) and Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey).

Watch the trailer below

The film is on general release in Cinemas from 25 November- find out more and book your seats here: www.aunitedkingdomfilm.com/ #AUnitedKingdom.

Attendees: all attendees who give feedback on the film will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win a voucher, so for your chance to win a £100 John Lewis voucher, please give your film review below:

~ What are your general feelings about the film? What's your headline review? Please give your rating from 1 to 5 stars where 5 is brilliant and 1 is poor (plus do add your rating in the box below left )

~ Who you attended the screening with (friend/ mother/ husband etc)? What did they think of the film?

~ And in terms of the story and themes in the film - what does this mean to you? To what extent do you think that attitudes towards interracial relationships and mixed race children have changed since the backlash that Ruth and Seretse faced in the 1940s?

Thanks and good luck with the prize draws.

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for all the reviews - winner of the £100 voucher is Olinguito.

Non attendee movie bundle winners are foxessocks, serendipity1980 and AngelwingsPetlamb

[Hopezibah]

non-tester. Most romantic thing is when i first met my (now) husband he would cook sweet and sour chicken for me and i was so impressed that he could cook. Took me ages to realise he was actually using uncle ben's sweet and sour sauce. he hadn't tried to hide that fact, he genuinely thought it was proper cooking from scratch even though it was out of a jar. Still very sweet and romantic to be cooked for - wish it would happen more these days!

[Goldenhandshake]

~ What are your general feelings about the film? What's your headline review? Please give your star rating from 1 to 5 stars where 5 star star star star star is brilliant and 1 star is poor (plus do add your rating in the box below left wink)

5 Stars, Rosamund Pike was phenomenal, she really drew you in. The imagery in the film was breathtaking, fantastic camera work.

~ Who you attended the screening with (friend/ mother/ husband etc)? What did they think of the film?
Just me :)

~ And in terms of the story and themes in the film - what does this mean to you? To what extent do you think that attitudes towards interracial relationships and mixed race children have changed since the backlash that Ruth and Seretse faced in the 1940s?

I found the film very emotional, it shocks you to think how backwards attitudes were such a relatively short time ago. I think we have come along way, but are now in a '1 step forward, 2 steps back' scenario with the increase of far right sentiments.

[Nicola27]

Non attendee

My husband and I have been together for 24 years. We've had a few romantic times together but the one that stands out for me was before we got married. It was New Years Eve and we had booked a table at a lovely restaurant. Unfortunately though the evening brought horrendous storms with it, so bad that trees were coming down. We set out in the car but couldn't get to the restaurant as there was a tree blocking our only road to the restaurant. We had to go back to our flat instead. I was really upset. My boyfriend said to go and have a nice hot bath and whilst I was in the bathroom he made us a tray full of nibbles like cheese, crackers, pickles, ham etc and a couple of glasses of wine. That night we sat in front of our roaring log fire, had great food and drink and watched a romantic film, it was the best NYE's party ever.

[Catam]

Looking forward to watching it thanks for all the reviews.

Have to say A UNITED KINGDOM (OUT NOW!) thread title initially made me think it was a film about Brexit 😂

[issynoko]

R&R were a gay couple, my mum's best friends. I couldn't believe their relationship was illegal when it began - they are my role models for what a loving life-time can be. Both died in their 80s, within months of each other after 53 years absolute devotion. They were discreet, as men of their generation were used to being until the law changed. They just died before civil partnerships and then same sex marriage became a reality so never saw society celebrate their love. I realise as times change that the prejudice they encountered is still there and the progress we've made can reverse in the tick of box in their memory. They were the best of men, with the best of marriages. I miss them every day and would fight for all loving hearts to be celebrated, never condemned for their choice.

[123julie321]

The most romantic thing my (now) husband has ever done was to organise an impromptu trip to Paris, including a list of activities and restaurants, when he found out that I had never been before and that I longed to visit. It was the most amazing 3 days of my entire life- I will never forget how deeply and rapidly I fell for him.

[nowahousewife]

Firstly thanks mumsnet for the opportunity to see this film. Took my slightly sceptical husband who absolutely loved it. Gave us lots to talk about afterwards from the political scheming, Churchills betrayal and the strength of both Ruth and Seretse.

Whilst the casual racism was not unexected or shocking, the willingness of governments to interfere in and attempt to dictate to people's lives left us amazed.

It was also beautifully shot with stunning contrasts between post war London and the African plains.

Excellent film - 5 stars from me!

[merliquin]

5 stars - an uplifting romance


~ I attended the screening with my partner - we were both really touched by the film.

~ It was so interesting to see a version of London from history where black & white people socialised and interacted with one another - this was a London that I've never seen represented in film/on TV before. My partner and I are both mixed race however this was more unusual when we were growing up than it is today. The film made us consider the struggles that our parents would have gone through and made us wonder about the families which were broken because the stigma of a mixed relationship was more than the individuals could cope with. Where we live, mixed families are not unusual but I expect that in other parts of the country, this would still be an issue for some close-minded people.

It was refreshing for the black character to be intelligent, well-educated and of a higher social status than the white character and to see the resistance from both families - the black character was not a downtrodden victim and nor were his family members. Although there was resistance on both sides, there was also support from both sides. I think this really reinforced the message that people are people; some good-hearted, some not so much, but race has no bearing on it either way.

I also found it interesting that the racist incidents (boxing match, in the London street with Ruth) were much milder than much of what we see on the news today. Often, film aims to shock but here, it made me reflect on how far we have come but also how far we still have to go.

I thought the way we saw both Seretse and Ruth flourish alone in an alien environment was very effective - they were strong together but also apart. There were some beautiful moments in this film that brought tears to my eyes because of the strength and love of the two main characters.

Above all, this felt like a romance - not a film 'about' racism - it is a film about love, sacrifice, family but set against a fascinating backdrop of racial disharmony, political game-playing (& the birth of apartheid in S.A.)

This is such an amazing true story - I know a few people who will be getting 'The Colour Bar' for Christmas!

[serendipity1980]

Non attendee- Most romantic thing my husband has done for me is surprise me on our 5th wedding anniversary with a weekend stay at the hotel where we were married! I remember it being rather exhausted with our 4 year old and nearly 2 year old but it was very memorable and lovely to be back.

[lottietiger]

Nothing for a while but on my 30th birthday DP took me on a surprise weekend away to Madrid. He rang up my work and arranged a few days off with my boss and didn't tell me where we were going til we got to the airport. He did however tell he we were going so I could pack :) . It was very romantic. Been a bit of a drought since then though!

[barricade]

Non-attendee

What is it about chocolates, roses and wrapped gifts (complete with bow and ribbon) that always brings a smile?

As for the most romantic thing that has happened? Does a candle-lit dinner up in the mountains qualify (in full tux, tie and evening dress)?

[Andbabymakesthree]

Non attendee. It's little things like bringing a cheese scone home from work canteen or texting me to look in top cupboard for a hidden treat when he's not home. We dedicate so much time to the children it's stuff like that which makes me smile.

[WowOoo]

The most romantic thing my husband to be ever did was to get me a special mention on my birthday at a gig of a band we both loved. It was so cool.

[shoebedo434]

my husband arranged for us to renew our wedding vows after 10 years of marriage in Chicago. he arranged a vicar, flowers and for our American friends to be there. we renewed our vows in Millennium Park and then went to an Irish pub for lunch before watching the memorial day parade. It was a great day

[Cambam2010]

I haven't seen the film. The most romantic thing that a partner has done for me was when I was proposed to. We was visiting family in South Africa and my boyfriend popped the question, with a ring, whilst we was on safari in Krueger Natonal Park. We were there to visit family so it meant that everyone dear to us could celebrate with us at the time.

[Larnipoo]

Music is a massive part of me and my husbands relationship. I met him in a band and we've been to many gigs/festivals. We always have music playing in our house. My husband is very thoughtful. He's always making mix tapes/playlists for me and he collects vinyl and will pick LPs up for me he thinks I will like.

[katiewalters]

(non watcher Of The film)-
I used to think it was romantic that for the whole 4years of my uni course. I was in Chester and my other half in Birmingham. On a Fri my partner would come straight from work to Chester and stay with me until Sunday. This was every weekend for 3years. Sometimes he was on call but would still come over, and at times he was called out so had to go back to Birmingham early

[foxessocks]

Most romantic moment was when my dh surprised me by picking me up from the airport after I'd been away for three months

[Elliepurpleflower]

• when we lived a long way apart

[Elliepurpleflower]

Dh traveled a few hours through the night once, to meet me for a few hours then go home - because he wanted to see me. That was before we were married and lived a long way apart.

[kateandme]

an illness that would rip any family.partners apart.threatened to many time.didnt.and to this day love conquers/ed all. never seen a love like it that has broken through the deepest darkest depths of one of the most horrific illness ive seen.that is love

[Pigeonpea]

Lived apart for our first year of marriage, due to work commitments - it was a massive challenge and put a huge strain on our young and blossoming romance. When we finally managed to buy a house together and work in the same region of the UK, we got our house key, packed our bags and flew to South America to celebrate!

[idleweiss]

~ What are your general feelings about the film? What's your headline review? Please give your star rating from 1 to 5 stars where 5 star star star star star is brilliant and 1 star is poor (plus do add your rating in the box below left wink)

It was a moving film of love triumphing in the face of adversity. I found it slow in places, with some stiff acting in parts, but over all a beautifully told story. David Oyelowo was brilliant, he gave an amazing performance. It has made me want to find out more about the real events it was based on.


I give the film 4 stars.

~ Who you attended the screening with (friend/ mother/ husband etc)? What did they think of the film?

Me, Myself & I!

~ And in terms of the story and themes in the film - what does this mean to you? To what extent do you think that attitudes towards interracial relationships and mixed race children have changed since the backlash that Ruth and Seretse faced in the 1940s?

I have since bought the book on which the film is based as I wanted to find out more about the real story of Seretse & Ruth, and the issues they had to endure & overcome. Their determination, passion, belief and love for each other were an inspiration.

Things have indeed moved on now, thankfully, with so much more acceptance, but there are still people who have issues with interracial relationships. Things could still be further improved.

[ploughyourownfurrow]

Thank you Mumsnet. Really enjoyed the film. I will award United Kingdom four stars.
Its striking and unusual to see a film where a black protagonist plays both a political and an emotional lead.<br /> This for me was one of the films great strengths, but also a challenge for the director, as it is quite a task to develop the lead characters adequately enough while giving precise historical detail of the geopolitics of the postwar era in which the movie is set.<br /> Time constraints of the motion picture format, made it inevitable that dramatic license was taken with the portrayal of the media coverage of the event as it happened- although this just fed my hunger to find out more about the actual events and how they were covered by the press at the time!<br /> I think we may have all gotten used to the box set formula, where characters are slowly developed over a longer timeframe. I would have liked to see how the couple negotiated with the diamond company to lay claim to Botswanas share of the spoils, for example. I would have enjoyed some footage of their later years. The pair were buried together on a hill, overlooking Seretses village. Did Ruth really accept her situation with such equanimity right up until the end? She really did have the patience of several saints.<br /> I saw the film with my 16-year-old, who adored the cinematography of the Botswanan savanna. But she too would have liked to have seen more documentary coverage of the aftermath of the settlement with the British government.<br /> We both enjoyed the even handedness of the director in her portrayal of social groups tendencies to band together when the hegemony of the tribe is under threat. Seretses sister and sister-in-law, via their disapproval, neatly turned on its head the idea that it is solely the prerogative of the caucasian to declare other races 'not good enough' for us. <br /> We also had a snigger at the snootiness of top civil servants, the grande fromage, Sir Humphrey, Alistair Canning, played splendidly by Jack Davenport, (who Ive loved ever since he played a lead in 'Thats Life', a sort of British version of 'Friends'.)<br /> It is still somewhat shocking to see the films accurate depiction of the complicity between state, church and the upper echelons of British society, at the time to prevent this union and uphold the dodgy mores of Empire. Vestiges of this attitude still remain today, unfortunately, albeit much much more subtly revealed. I do believe our hope lies with the young, who are socialised to accept integration from toddlerhood. Let`s hope the political winds of change do not blow us backwards.