By Emilio Frenk.
Director: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Will Dalton, Marton Csokas, Nick Kroll, Jon Bass and Michael Shannon.
Rating: Excellent.
Jeff Nichols, director of movies like “Mud” and this year´s “Midnight Special” brings “Loving” andmakes it another winner for Nichols.
Based on real life events and set up in the late 1950´s early 60´s, “Loving” tells the story of Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton) a hard working man who fells in love and marries Mildred (Ruth Negga) a colored woman.
They both decide to get married in Washington D.C. so they can avoid having problems in Virginia where they are both from.
The main conflict starts when the ruthless Sheriff Brooks (Marton Csokas) comes in the middle of the night and arrests both Richard and Mildred.
Now the couple is about to be sentenced in prison for getting married but they will fight for their rights and will take the case to the Supreme Court of Justice and will make it one of the biggest cases of interracial couples in history.
Since he started his career with movies like “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter”, Jeff Nichols is a visual storyteller and writes his characters with such detail and with “Loving” was no different.
One of the things that makes Nichols unique in the genre is the fact that he knows how to write characters with both internal and external conflicts but at the same time you feel identified with them.
The direction of Nichols is also precise and detailed at all levels and he knew how to get the best out of his cast and both Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga delivered incredible and touchy performances.
The movie is being released in a great moment now that the Presidential Elections are coming up this Tuesday and the movie knows how to get into detailwith themes like discrimination and rascism.
The cinematography by Adam Stone who has worked in all five movies Jeff Nichols directed was againbeautifully crafted and the score by David Wingo will impact you with the cues that he delivers in the scenes that are the most touching which are the majority and you will feel identified with the story of both Richard and Mildred Loving.
This is so far Jeff Nichols most ambitious movie and realistic film due to the thematic that is involved.
This movie can also be a huge contender for the awards season which is coming up soon and we can see potential nominations by both Edgerton and Negga.
“Loving” is one of the years best films and I recommend it all levels. I guarantee that you will not be dissapointed and bring yourself a good pack of tissues since you will need them.