Review of Fences (2016) by Kevin P — 29 Jun 2018

Strengths: Come on. You know this starts and ends with the acting of the two leads. Denzel Washington (Troy Maxson) is as powerful as ever, playing a very flawed man who is doing his best but is so messed up, he's ruining everything around him. Viola Davis (Rose Lee Maxson) is the star of this thing, though. She steals the show and absolutely earns the Academy Award she took home for the role. The scene where she gets the bad news from her husband is pretty incredible. Jovan Adepo (Cory Maxson) does well to stand up alongside these stars who play his parents. His scenes with Denzel are particularly strong and some of the more intense of the entire film. August Wilson's adapted screenplay is a very good one. It remains dialogue heavy, as you would expect from a play, but mostly works well. What really helps it click is Denzel's directing. He uses a lot of camera turns and quick cuts that helps it feel like it's moving along quicker than it is.

Weaknesses: As usual, a film that is dialogue heavy can be a bit dull at points. A lot of it feels unnecessary. Film is a visual medium and there's not enough of a balance. With Troy doing so many negative things throughout, it's hard to root for him. That can make it tough to relate to the story. He doesn't get much of an arc. He does asshole things and doesn't change or pay for it. In fact, nobody really gets an arc, as the characters mostly stay who they were at the beginning of the story. Cory's the only one who goes from scared of his dad to standing up to him.

Overall: With lesser actors, this would be a forgettable film. The story doesn't lend itself to film that well, without many arcs and too much dialogue. However, the acting of Denzel and Viola is so great that it makes this the kind of movie you must see. Throw in Denzel's strong work behind the camera and you've got a film that is better than it probably should be.