Fences Review

Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson

Fences immediately had my attention as soon as I looked at the casting. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis? Sign me up. They are two of the most dependable actors of this generation. Even in Suicide Squad, Viola gave a pretty commanding performance to prove that the atrocity of the film could not be blamed on her. In Fences, they're front and center as a couple facing some seriousmarital problems. The less you know about this film, the better. Fences takes place in the 1950s, post-Jackie Robinson, but before the Civil Rights Movement really started taking shape. Troy and Rose Maxson are a couple that married late in life. Troy dreamed of being a baseball star, but never got the chance to play in the big leagues, as they were still segregated at the time. He works now as a garbage man and just really hates his life. In his own way, he tries to help his wife and their son, but he ends up hurting. Troy is NOT a sympathetic protagonist. If you don't end up hating his guts by the end of the movie, there's something wrong with you. He is such a monster that it is infuriating to behold. It is a true testament to how good of an actor Denzel is, because of course, he's not a monster. Fences is not a perfect movie, and it actually annoyed me. But its heart is in the right place and the acting is top-notch, so it's worth every penny.

Fences' biggest fault is that it really doesn't feel like a movie. The film is adapted from August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play. In the Broadway revival, both Denzel and Viola both won Tony Awards for their acting. The screenwriter credit is given to Wilson, who has been dead for a decade. I assume that they must just be using the play script. All of this makes Fences feel like a play. I love theatre, but I also love to see how the mediums can be transferred. With a film version of Fences, Denzel could add some really interesting scenes not able to be explored on a confined stage. Only Denzel really doesn't direct here, even if he's credited as the director. The camera angles aren't anything special, and the whole film feels confined. The opening scene is also very assaulting. It's just Troy going on and on, and I felt very overstimulated. I just wanted him to shut up so I could get some background and setting. I felt like the movie didn't feel enough like a film, and as a film critic, I have to give it a few strikes for that. However, it is clear that Denzel and Viola just wanted to get this play the biggest audience possible, and making a play/film in movie theaters is the best way to do this.

I said earlier that both Denzel and Viola had won for their roles. If their stage performances were anything like their film ones, those awards were well deserved. Viola has been picking up awards left and right for her role as Rose, and she owes it to one scene that made my breath hitch in my throat. The scene feels so intimate and private that I didn't want to breathe or make any mistake. I watched as she just screamed at her husband, ripping him to shreds and falling apart in the process. In the trailer it almost seemed as if she was just giving an Oscar-bait performance, the kind I'd expect from How to Get Away with Murder. Rose has so much depth and so many layers that she often steals the show from her husband. And if you have ever seen Denzel act, you know how much of a feat that is. As for Denzel, he's as good as he always is. Most of the tension is seen in his abusive and menacing nature towards his son. The sheer amount of consecutive lines Denzel spits out at his son is incredible. The quantity of his speaking is something that is just a wonder to behold. He has no control, and this contradicts the amount of control that Viola has in her speaking.

You may have noticed that I haven't really described the plot to Fences. The movie is full of interesting twists and turns that I cannot articulate. If you've seen the trailer, you know that the selling point is just Denzel Washington and Viola Davis acting incredibly. That is all you need to know to see Fences. I didn't like the theatre feel to the film, but that may not bother some people. If you love good acting, and especially if you like either of the two actors, this is a must-see.

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