Often, when plays are turned into films, people complain that theyre too stagy.
That it’s possible for you to tell they were plays.
Good heavens, not that!
There are obviously different ways to tell stories.
If its powerful, its powerful.
And you wont find many films this year as powerful as Denzel WashingtonsFences.
Its the 50s, and its clear who the boss of the household is.
Washington, directing his first film since 2007sThe Great Debaters, doesnt get too flashy behind the camera.
And that feels right.
Wilsons characters and blue-collar milieu are so vivid, they dont require any adornment or extra sizzle.
Theres plenty of that in the rich language.
Wilsons title refers to the fence that Troy is building around his backyard.
Its his way of keeping the harsh, unfair world out and protecting whats his.
Washington and Davis performances do just the opposite.
They invite us in to an intimate place thats messy and painful and hard to shake.
Itsas good as screen acting gets.A
