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| Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. |
Back then in 1967, Loving v. Virginia, a landmark civil rights decision which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage was important for our history because if that case did not happen, love will not be as conquered because if that case had not existed, you have to basically be forced to marry a person in your own race. But, it is one's decision to choose a particular gender of your own race to deeply care or love. However, it is narrower. Love is a broad topic so why not go broader with different races. Remember: you choose who you want to love. So, this movie is mainly the behind-the-scenes story of that case and behind the case, it is a moving and complicated story about an interracial couple that falls in love, however, laws get in the way of their way of life.
Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton), a white man is sitting on the porch with a black woman, Mildred (Ruth Negga), who is his girlfriend. It is the mid 1950s in Virginia, still a period of segregation. They are in love and Richard takes Mildred to some land of acreage in which he tells her that he will build a house for them asks her to marry him. They do get married but they get married in Washington, D.C. where it has a quicker process but it is also because Virginia is one of the 24 states where interracial marriage is illegal.
Later, a sheriff named Brooks (Marton Csokas) barges into their house to see them in bed asking Richard what he is doing with a black woman and Mildred replies that she is his wife. Brooks says that it is no good and it is illegal. Richard and Mildred are taken into a local jail but they are separated. He is let go but Mildred stays for several days and also pregnant until they can see a judge. Mildred is released from jail but is getting tired of the negativity so they move to Washington D.C. Richard and Mildred adjusts to city life but it does not work for them. They make the best of it, anyhow, as they both return to Virginia separately. Later, Mildred gives birth, with the assistance of Richard's mom. But, the police are alert and they have returned to arrest both Richard and Mildred for violating the court order.
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| Taking them away. |
The movie is profoundly good due to two different but strong performances, one better than the other. Edgerton's performance is more nervous and frantic. We focus on Richard's reclusiveness more than his verbal acting because his weakness is verbal communication. He wants to protect his family but not retort to public and loud display of discouragement or affection. He is more grounded than Mildred. Ruth Negga's performance is extraordinary as she is the loud advocate of the civil rights movement as she would embrace the media for exclusively producing it all over America. She is a downright shy person to a fiercely confident woman in the end. Her performance is the emotional core of the film as her quiet expressions and her confidence fills in the weaknesses of the film. She is fantastic and can potentially garner some awards consideration.
Nick Kroll portrays Bernie Cohen in somewhat of a comedic manner as more of a secondary character but he gives a solid performance. And, I wish that we got more of Michael Shannon's character because he is really good as a cameraman/journalist observing the turning point in history.
Director Jeff Nichols is still on a roll of good movies as the strong performances, the documentation of prejudices against interracial marriage and the activism against interracial marriage are quite handled well and paints a picture of 1950s and 1960s urban life that also reaches the universal crowd. It loses me in the historical setting in which the Civil Rights Movement and the case in the Supreme Court grows because it allows to just go to the straight conclusion while balancing with the domestic story. The pacing is a bit erratic because it does not allow that whole segment of history to takes its time because it is mostly the movie running out of time and the story should just wrap it up quickly. The story is relevant to today's times as it is a story about love and also equality that is wrapped with some emotion - not as moving as I want it to be - and pain that could have been potentially consequential. However, it is really the two performances that sells the movie in a very good manner.
***1/2
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