Selma

The context is Martin Luther King's mission to get votes for blacks. The film focusses on a peaceful demonstration in Selma, Alabama.

This story is part of a huge moment in American history. A really powerful subject which is thoughtfully dealt with. The lead, David Oyelowo, does a nice job.

There is one moment in the film which is hugely emotional and shows the best of human kindness but otherwise the movie doesn't quite pack the huge emotional punch the topic deserves.

Still very much worth a watch though, the subject matter is fascinating. You will struggle to believe that humans could behave this way, and so recently too.

Once one gets used to the fact that the film of the original events in Selma, Alabama, is more interesting than this fictionalized piece, it starts to become a disappointment. The young man who plays Martin Luther King, Jr., does a decent job, but there is something lacking. When we hear speeches by King, there is a power to his delivery. Something is missing here. While a British actor plays King and he does great with a southern American, his delivery lacks the punch. What makes the movie worthwhile is the portrayal of the marches, all three of them. The first is so graphic in its violence as those marshals block the area on the other side of the bridge. Also missing is lively dialogue among the leaders of the movement. They are so stiff where they should be fighting among each other, expressing their fears and bringing us into the process. Lyndon Johnson is seen as the bad guy (along with, of course, George Wallace), but his portrayal is stilted. Where is that Texas accent. He is so impressed in our minds. There should be more bluster and casual dominance in this figure. While this is a decent rendering of a major event in the development of man's quest for freedom, it falls a bit flat.

Film critic Richard Roeper said it best. Selma is a film that provides a history lesson, but doesn't feel like a history lecture. Not one bit.

I foresee a bright future for the director Ava DuVernay and actor David Oyelowo. For DuVernay's second or third effort, it's quite an achievement what she manages to do with this film. For nearly fifteen years she's been working in studio marketing and publicity and her film speaks for itself. She directs the film with flare and keeps the film emotionally grounded. Even though at times you think you know whats coming, DuVernay keeps us at bay and also provides us with some neat surprises. Also give Paul Webb some credit with his sharp screenplay.

David Oyelowo truly embodies MLK. More often than not Selma tends to focus on something not many people tend to expect in a movie about MLK. The script showcases his doubts and insecurities. Oyelowo comes through with a deeply felt and compelling performance. He also nails Dr. King's speech patterns, voice, even his posture and shows that Dr. King has his flaws, but is a compassionate person. I find it hard that anyone will be able to take their eyes off him. What a performance. Shame that it was overlooked by the Academy.

Everyone in the cast brings their "A-game." I liked Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, but I wanted just a little more of her character, but she makes up the most of what she has. Oprah Winfrey is solid as Annie Lee Cooper. She has a very substantial role and has a nice subplot. Other particular standouts are Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson, Tim Roth as George Wallace.

Selma takes itself very seriously, there isn't much humor to be found, and any break from documenting its events are often downbeat character moments. However DuVernay's talent is in full blaze. This film is very heavy, but it always grabs your attention, often in the hands of Oyelowo's performance. The March 7th, "Bloody Sunday" sequence is brutal to watch, but DuVernay and cinematographer Bradford Young achieve and deliver quite an intense and impactful set piece. Literally, it hits you in the gut as we watch history forged in flesh and blood.

I am still shocked that this film received so little recognition by the Academy. Oyelowo and DuVernay should have been nominated at the very least. I believe you can blame that to Paramount Pictures as I heard that they did not deliver the screeners on time for the Academy voters. It's a pity.

By the time we arrive at the film's postscript, revealing the fates of several people chronicled by Selma, it's almost impossible not to be moved by their courage and sacrifice. Selma to me, is not just a biopic, but rather a film that celebrates a community action through the eyes of Martin Luther King Jr. This movie sadly, could not be more relevant right now.

9.3/10

We had to see this movie after so many conflicting things were said about it. I did not go in with high expectations and was surprised to find that everything about the movie was excellent, from the casting, costumes, and sets, to the filming, script, directing, lighting effects and music. It all worked for me. I was moved and upset in all the right places, from the shocking beginning to the triumphant, and also foreboding end. The cutting in of actual film footage towards the end was welcome and not overdone or trivialized. Kind of like, let's slip the audience back into reality now. This was real. It really happened and people kept on fighting and dying for civil rights in America after the events of this movie.

I loved it. It should have gotten more Academy Award nominations than it did. Especially for the actors who played Martin and Coretta King. I can't believe they are not even Amerian actors. Nicely done accents. The actor who played LBJ was also very good, but being from Texas I was not as convinced by his accent. If I was on the Board for the Academy Awards I definitely would nominate this movie for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress - at minimum.

The words I best describe this movie are "profound" and "intense." From what I've learned since my school days, equal rights among race was a very touchy subject when it came to American history.

David Oyelowo's portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. was so spot-on that I was immediately drawn in to see every detail of the film play out. I was disturbed and further curious at the same time amongst every scene that unfolded during the key moments of the film.

Basically, it featured how much King sacrificed and went through in the 1960s to maintain blacks rights to vote and eliminate segregation from all states. I couldn't believe how much violent injustice and racial discrimination were used to intimidate innocent people who were trying to have the same rights like many in America.

Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr, and rapper-actor Common brought out great performances as the individuals who stood up for what they truly believe in and they wouldn't let hate stand in their way. Tom Wilkinson's portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson was rather physically uncanny and his scenes brought out the angst of what he had to face at a time when violence was further escalating during the Civil Rights Movement. Tim Roth as Governor George Wallace made me feel to hate the man for his segregationist beliefs, but when confronted by President Johnson himself, it just got real.

The juxtaposition of real-life archive footage in the movie gave a nice touch to how very genuine these people of Selma endured plenty of horrible confrontations. Whether these usually ended in violence or even death, they just kept growing in numbers and overcome all who stood against their true beliefs in racial equality.

My only nitpick was that of President Johnson's confrontations with Martin Luther King himself. I've learned in the history books that they've had their fair share of disagreements, but nothing this intense as shown on screen. Nevertheless, it proved that being an American President was no easy feat at a very difficult time. Overall, this is a film that didn't require lengthy (moving) MLK speeches, instead it focused on tense confrontations black people had to endure and how one individual stood tall and fought back not with violence, but with powerful words and strong beliefs. I applaud David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay for providing a glimpse into how racism was overcome by one profound man whose legacy still reverberates to this day.