Memorable, crazy movie

Fresh and Exciting

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

LovingThere aren't many historical drama genre features that satisfies the audience through its mellow tone which is apt for the structure of the script. There aren't any high-pitched dramatic sequences that may stand out in here but it does flow like a melting butter that never fumbles its way down the road. Jeff Nichols; the writer-director, has written a gripping layered screenplay that is exceeded by its brilliant execution and editing that ups the ante of the feature and communicates with the audience in each and every frame. The feature fails to score on technical aspects like background score, production and custom design although it is shot beautifully which makes it supremely watchable. The performance objective is the game changer where Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton are in their A game on their parallel role as a couple struggling with its generation. Its first half hits hard and fast and establishes the stakes appropriately after which the maker takes their time on the second half and goes as deep as possible. Loving is a heartfelt soothing experience where there are lots of mutual aspects to connect and feel the characters projected and then the rest of it is carried off by stellar performances.

This movie might be a bit too authentic for some viewers, judging from some reviews criticizing it as slow and/or boring. For the time and place the setting and characters seem very realistic, although may seem dull when viewing from 2018. Dialogue was simple and plain with no speeches or quotables, and the acting was painfully believable. The story played out slowly without any extremes in action. I found it fascinating and compelling because of the pace and realism. The true story is an historic and remarkable victory for civil rights, without embellishment. A goof: Mrs. Loving set her table with Corelle dinnerware in 1967, although Corelle wasn't introduced until 1970.

Sorry, but I want to have a rant here. A number of top critics have used almost identical sentences in their reviews of this film, namely - " It shows how far America has come in its views of race and equality - and how far is left to go" This is of course complete rubbish, but sounds good. This film does show how far we have come, but how can the film show how far (as most will agree) we still have to go ? What disappointed me here was that a key civil rights case and the bigger picture are almost ignored for a love story that focuses on the couple themselves as the story. Hence, for example, the fact that Mildred Loving claimed on a number of occasions to be of Indian heritage and denied her black heritage, and that her marriage certificate identifies her as Indian is not mentioned in the film, and so the reasons behind this have been forgotten about. Instead of focusing on the bigger picture the film has to resort to creating drama when possibly there was none.......ie it is imagined that Richard Loving is pursued or followed by a car which he thinks contains unidentified persons wishing to do him harm (cue dramatic music, car chase etc)......all very exciting, for a minute (but hardly Bullitt)..... but is it true -----well there is a much evidence for that as there is him finding a brick in his car, again this creates tension and a sense of persecution. Ten minutes of the film is given over to showing Life photographer Grey Villet in their home - is that really key to this story ? Nope, but it creates a cameo role for Shannon and shows yet more scenes of the Lovings in love, as if the film needed more of them. If Nichols wanted to create a love story, and feels that is more important than the bigger picture then I would have liked to know how they met, what the attitudes of both Richard's and Mildred's families were to their romance, what barriers they encountered, but instead this is a film about an important civil rights issue masquerading as a romance. I found it disappointing and a bit dull. Performances are very good, especially from Ruth Negga.

Joel Edgerton and Ruth Neggia give restrained performances in this film dealing with inter-racial marriage and bigotry and that's part of the problem here. Edgerton talks as if he has marbles in his mouth and Neggia's character of Mildred comes off much too nonchalant with the tremendous problem the inter-racially married couple face.Even when their case ultimately goes to the Supreme Court, we just hear the very generalized opening arguments by the Loving's attorneys. Even when the court reaches its decision, there is very little excitement upon the married couple's response.Am amazed that Ruth Neggia was nominated for a best actress Oscar and after seeing the film and her rather lackluster performance, there is no surprise that she lost.Even the racist police officers come off as rather blase here.