Fences

Set in a suburb black neighbourhood, Fences follows the character of Troy Maxson, a man who's so huge to a point where we can't describe him in a single sentence or two. Troy is cantankerous to be short. He always has things to say about everything. Issues pertaining to racial discrimination and double standard treatments are raised. He is obstinate about the changes that are taking place in the society. He had a bad past with his dad before running away from home, straying off into a relationship resulting in a kid, ending up in jail due to robbing, peaking up good in baseball game, marrying Rose (Viola Davis) and settling down as a garbage collector. This might be the first time we see this profession being portrayed on widespread celluloid.

This is a picture that grows on you! The more you stay, the realer it becomes! The more you watch, the more you know and fathom Troy of what made him the man he is today. And guess how these data are transmitted to the audience? Dialogues. Yes, you heard it right. Dialogues! Motion pictures are about telling stories through moving images. But every once in a while, you can travel on the road less taken and still make a goddamn brilliant cinematic narrative out of it! In fact, the true USP here is the dialogues! Burly, projective and unsparing dialogues! At first, the thick accents may seem hard to follow but wait and allow it to come to verbal equilibrium before it glues you to the screen! Most of the stupendous sequences written heavily depend on the words being spoken and the way the conversations pan out, such as the flashback to 1918, TV purchase, $10 loan, poverty, importance of money, playing numbers and Troy's son's query about 'liking' him. A huge kudos to cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen for capturing all these talks on camera with long, continuous and wide takes, stringing it all together like real-time events!

If you wish to see how to transliterate authentic theatre class acting onto silver screens, then this feature will be your textbook! Many act, but only few live the characters they're playing! Here we are, looking at classic personas from the literature! Such was the impact given by both the leads, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Easily the winners of the season! As a likable protagonist, we are just left awestruck by how grounded and phenomenal Denzel's performance is! The way he teases his wife, spends time with his close friend Bono (Stephen Henderson), makes a living, saves his money, jokes, argues, dances in excitement, sings, tells stories, lectures and fights with this son while being drunk are strikingly admirable! In this dialogue-driven movie, the way he speaks non-stop makes him the center of all attractions! No one could have pulled off the role of a mother and wife as Viola Davis did! Her reactions to all her husband's talk and the way she laughs hysterically for his quips and little amusement tricks are unbeatable! She breaks down so dignifiedly upon learning about his extramarital affair. We'll easily tear up listening to her feelings being poured afterwards regarding how much she has sacrificed for the family as much as Troy did.

Plays, novels and films have different methods of telling a story. Authors convey inner feelings of the characters, while playwrights tell a tale through words and expressions. Directors as you know, via moving pictures. For what August Wilson has accomplished for this medium transmutation is truly amazing as it is a rare occasion! Only one in a million dialogue-heavy movies taste critical success! Also, to prevent weariness, the locations are shifted when interactions occur even if it is within the same house compound for most of the time. Real tight confabs like the $10 loan scene, Troy sabotaging his son's baseball career and the final uplifting orchestra readying to face 'Death' are gold!

Flaws wise, the subplot surrounding Troy's mentally-challenged brother is dull and could have been eradicated without any effect on the primary plot. This character's presence does dampen the show. Furthermore, it makes you wonder, for a man who loves his wife, why would he commit infidelity albeit being able to see where he's coming from regarding this matter. He needs a way out of stress within his congested family and job issues. Like a holiday. Like a place where he can be himself, without worrying about anything. And the fact that he is capable of extra woman is proven through the existence of Lyons (Russell Hornsby), his first marriage's son. The resolution clearly shows the continuation of Troy's lineage and also forgiveness, but it could have been made a little more direct.

No human is perfect. Yes, Troy is a man who has committed many mistakes in the past and now. But, he is also a man who looks after his family's wellbeing responsibly. He may not regret or feel guilty about what he has done, but blunders are blunders, appreciations are appreciations. This can be seen through the fair judgment given by Rose for Troy; she will take the other child as her own, but Troy won't have a woman no more. In a family, conflicts are bound to happen. How do we keep it all together as a unit, is what Fences are there for.