Well-trodden thematic and narrative threads feature throughout A United Kingdom, yet great performances by David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike, along with exquisite direction by Amma Asante, gives passion and power to a true-life story lost in the pages of time.

Movies like A United Kingdom reclarify several things: racism is bad (self-evident), the Brits were bastards (sometimes), and love conquers all. Yet so to do they remind of times and people from not so distant history that although remarkable and monumental, have been forgotten in the pages of history. Such is the story found within A United Kingdom, a blend of political biopic and romantic drama that focuses on the interracial marriage between the Prince of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) Seretse Khama (Davie Oyelowo) and London office worker Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike). Their marriage lit a firestorm of controversy and was a diplomatic nightmare with the South African nation of Bechuanaland a part of the British Empire.

Many scenes featuring scheming, scathing British government officials (played by the likes of Jack Davenport and Tom Felton), hellbent on breaking up this alliance for the sake of a “greater good”, feature throughout. What makes them so affective, though, is that we care about what happens to this couple whose love engulfs the lines of race, nationality and status.

With her third feature, director Amma Asante has established herself as a filmmaker and storyteller able to convey a strong sense of time and place, breathing life into the characters within whose plight – emotional, psychological, and of historical significance – is high on stakes worth investing in. A fine romance is a rare thing on screen these days, and exactly that is found in the love story between Seretse and Ruth, who went thought all matter of trial to stay together. Both Oyelowo and Pine are fantastic in their roles, strong with chemistry and dramatic power.

Supporting work from Terry Pheto, Jack Davenport and Tom Felton is also strong, yet one can’t help but feel a tad sense of stereotype in the representation of the British officials as sneering, scheming abusers of power. Then again history often speaks for itself when it comes to those who abuse their power upon good people.

Much like Assante’s breakthrough film Bella before it, Assante has created a fine period film in A United Kingdom that holds much in the way of relevance and profundity for today’s times. It would be great to see what she can do within a contemporary story next.