"Loving" Review - A Colorful Black and White Craft

“Loving” is a beautifully directed film, with some incredible cinematography, lush settings, and a well written script.

Unfortunately though, that’s it. That’s all I can really say about it. The one big problem with this film is that while the story is important and historic, there’s no stakes or steroid boosts. It’s just an interracial couple trying to get married and live in their hometown. The movie is 2 hours long, and there’s not a good score, so it can get boring pretty fast. I think if the film were cut to an hour and a half, it may have been a bit better, but this story is simply not “movie” material. “Moonlight” was pretty slow in the same way, but at least in that film, there were some pretty powerful emotional scenes and the characters were developed at a superb level. It wasn’t just court battles and kissing and long pauses, etc.

The shining star that really keeps this film at a high temperature level is Ruth Negga. I have enjoyed following her through SHIELD and Preacher. She’s a high rising actress, and has already given one of the best performances of her career. I don’t expect her to win best actress, but she better get at least a nomination.

Overall, it’s a really good film, because it’s crafted practically perfect. But when it you look at it from a wider angle, it’s just Oscar bait. “Loving” does deserve it, but it won’t really be remembered too much in my opinion. Remember “Selma”? Exactly.

One Nebs Up!