Director:Â Jeff Nichols
Cast:Â Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Marton Csokas, Nick Kroll, Michael Shannon, Will Dalton, Dean Mumford, Terri Abney, Alano Miller
Rating: 12A
Running Time: 123 mins
Release Date: February 3rd, 2017
If you follow Jeff Nichols films then you’re aware of how he works. Last year the director released the excellent MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, his own take on E.T that had all the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from his films; Michael Shannon in a starring role, small, intimate moments observed with laser-like focus and a habit of avoiding the big, cinematic moments that we’ve come to expect from films. Similar to Jeremy Saulnier, Nichols often makes the audience work in his films, slowly feeding information (at a sometimes infuriating pace) and loves to pull the rug out from under their feet when they think they know what to expect. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL was an intimate, fatherly look at what people would expect to be a fairly typical sci-fi story – it spent more time with its characters just talking behind closed doors and inside motel rooms. TAKE SHELTER is a horror story wrapped in a human drama about a father dangerously close to the edge of his sanity and the impact he’s having on his family and the town he lives in. Nichols doesn’t deal in grand, cinematic moments, his indulgence instead lies in the subtle things, a brief, shared look between two people or the quiet lack of sound in a room.
LOVING follows the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who get arrested after going out of state, in Virginia, to marry. Once the various governments and police force of Virginia find out about their marriage, the couple encounter numerous challenges, including unsympathetic people from both sides of the segregation, as well as judges and officials who want to keep them apart. Following up on his film stealing performance in MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, Joel Edgerton turns in another deeply soulful and human portrayal. His performance as Richard is one of quiet dignity and strength, a reserved and simple man, he wants nothing more than to just be left alone with the woman he loves and his confusion and frustration at other people’s opposition to that is a strong emotional undercurrent of the film. Edgerton plays up the physicality of the role perfectly, Richard is a large, strong presence but his demeanor is at odds with his calm, watchful personality. His character is summed up by a striking line at the end of the film; Richard looks after Mildred.
While it’s commendatory for Nichols to try a new approach to familiar stories in previous films, LOVING is hampered by his refusal to let the film become bigger than itself. It’s a strange position to be in, but the film suffers from Nichols’ un-cinematic approach to cinema and his restrained showmanship. The film chronicles over ten years in the life of Richard and Mildred, yet the film is so condensed it feels like a week. Nichols’ approach to the story is constrained to the point of frustration; events come and go with such little fanfare that the end result is underwhelming to say the least and the details of the plot often left unsaid. There’s a fine balance between subtle and over-exposition but Nichols veers far too much into not saying anything at all. That’s not to undermine the film itself and the performances, Edgerton as mentioned is fantastic, as well as Ruth Negga who gives Mildred a strength and warmth.
Verdict
