Flash Movie Review: Fences
ONE’S former days of glory either chain the individual to the past or can springboard them forward through the future. I have experienced this with a particular style of aerobics I used to teach in my classes. Years after I was no longer doing the class, members would still come up to me to talk about the class, wishing it would come back on the schedule. This particular class took a lot of preparation to teach and provided a lot of fun for me and the members. I possibly could have gone a few more years teaching this particular class; however, I knew with the advancement I was achieving at my day job I would not be able to devote the proper amount of time to keep that class going at the level it needed. Now I have seen at some clubs where instructors find a niche and excel in it, but after a couple of years they devote less time to keep it fresh and fun. It is as if they use their success to coast through their other classes. THIS is not unique to the fitness world; wasn’t it just recently I heard about a well known singer, who was successful early in her career, having a poor performance involving lip synching her own song? It is similar to some of those old musical acts that used to perform in huge stadiums during their heyday but presently perform at a small hotel nightclub or local festival. Now I am not saying they should not make a living; but if they are using nostalgia to draw a crowd because they cannot perform as well as before, I have a hard time justifying spending money to see them. Why would I want to hear a singer who can no longer carry the tune to their own song? Maybe it is just me but sitting and dwelling on one’s past successes in my opinion doesn’t allow the person to live in the present; I saw it taking place in this powerful drama. TROY Maxson, played by Denzel Washington (Safe House, Man on Fire), knew he would have been a great baseball player if he had been given the chance. His frustrations not only had an effect on him but the people around him. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play written by August Wilson (The Piano Lesson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone), this film festival winner was directed by Denzel and filmed in a way to match the stage version which Denzel and Viola Davis (Suicide Squad, Doubt) as Rose Maxson performed on Broadway. With Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers-TV) as Cory Maxson and Stephen Henderson (Manchester by the Sea, Tower Heist) as Jim Bono; the acting was outstanding overall; but for me, Viola was beyond amazing. She will be nominated for an Oscar and could easily get it for this performance. The story set in Pittsburgh during the 1950s did a beautiful job of depicting the attitudes of the times and set the viewer up for a couple of surprises. Even at times where I thought the pacing of the story slowed, the acting was so intense that I barely acknowledged this minor negative for me. This is a film to see especially if you enjoy catching the movies that will be nominated this awards season.
3 ½ stars
Posted on January 3, 2017, in Drama and tagged 3 1/2 stars, august wilson, denzel washington, drama, film festival winner, pittsburgh, pulitzer prize, stephen henderson, viola davis. Bookmark the permalink. 15 Comments.
Sounds like a “must-see” movie!
There are some Oscar-nominated movies that feel like a chore to watch, but I have a feeling this won’t be one of them. Can’t wait to see it now after your review!
Viola was totally amazing, so I expect her to be nominated and maybe win an Oscar. Thank you for the comments and if you see this film, I would enjoy hearing your views.
Thank you for posting the trailer of ‘Fences ‘. It won’t show here in Mauritius but in Spring I will be in London and I won’t miss it.
I have ‘The Danish Girl ‘and ‘Carol ‘ in blue ray version, both my type of movie, packed with emotions.
Have a wonderful new year 🎈
A happy and healthy new year to you as well, thank you. You have 2 good films to watch; I cannot wait for you to see this one.
I will!
Really enjoyed this movie. His toughness with sons was very reminiscent of my own father. I could really relate to this movie in a lot of ways.
Thank you for the comments and I am glad you enjoyed this movie. We just have to wait and see if Viola gets the Oscar.
Just saw this movie and even though at times it really just felt like a play, you can’t deny how strong the performances are from the two leads. Both of them deserve a nomination and have a pretty damn good chance at winning as well.
Yes you are correct; the 2 starred in the play and Denzel filmed it like a play. Fingers crossed Viola gets the prize. Thank you for your comments.
Looking forward to this one!
Great and especially now with the Oscar nominations; please let me know what you thought of it. Thank you for the comment.
Absolutely. Will do!
This is powerhouse drama at its best. The filming and acting is superb, and the narrative is timeless.
Viola for the win at the Oscars. Thank you for the comments.