Review of Selma (2014) by Dcedmonds — 19 Jan 2015
"Selma" 10 Scale Rating: 7.5 (Very Good) ...
The Good: David Oyelowo is outstanding as Martin Luther King, Jr and it's a shame that he didn't get a Best Actor nod from the Academy. His mannerisms and delivery were spot on and you can tell that he did a lot of research. His speeches were passionate and amazing to watch as well, which made me feel as if the role was exceptionally important to him. Beyond Oyelowo, there are several minor parts played by big actors with Martin Sheen, Oprah Winfrey, and Cuba Gooding, Jr all with cameos. The film itself is well directed and at times powerful. It focused not only on King's strengths, but also on his weaknesses and faults which was refreshing. A lot of biopics come across as hero worship, but that wasn't the case here.
The Bad: The film does slow down considerably at times, and makes the 2:07 run time feel longer. On top of that, the overwhelming majority of the supporting cast fade into the background. They are introduced by name, but then don't have much screen time and most of their names are never used again so you forget who they are. That is what truly prevents the film from being great. The supporting cast are under-utilized and therefore become unmemorable.
This review of Selma (2014) was written by Dcedmonds on 19 Jan 2015.
Selma has generally received very positive reviews.
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