Thursday, December 25, 2014
A confident historical drama, ‘Selma’ doesn’t waste a second | Movie Review | Creative Loafing Atlanta
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Dec. 25 in area theaters Tags: movie review selma martin�luther�king�jr. ava�duvernay david�oyelowo civil�rights�movement tom�wilkinson common wendell�pierce carmen�ejogo stephan�james annie�lee�cooper colman�domingo andr�holland voting�rights�act curt holman Official Site: www.selmamovie.com Director : Ava DuVernay Writer : Ava DuVernay and Paul Webb Producer : Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Oprah Winfrey Cast : Lorraine Toussaint, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Roth, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Tessa Thompson, Tom Wilkinson, David Oyelowo and Common Latest in Movie Review �The Hobbit� delivers big, empty spectacle �Five Armies� is heavy on the effects, light on character development by Curt Holman | 12.18.14 'Foxcatcher' wrestles with the American Dream Bennett Miller�s take on violence and weirdness in the U.S. by Curt Holman | 12.18.14 �The Babadook� and �Wild� show women facing down extreme situations Essie Davis and Reese Witherspoon battle monsters and mountains in new flicks by Curt Holman | 12.11.14 More � More by Curt Holman �The Hobbit� delivers big, empty spectacle �Five Armies� is heavy on the effects, light on character development by Curt Holman | 12.18.14 'Foxcatcher' wrestles with the American Dream Bennett Miller�s take on violence and weirdness in the U.S. by Curt Holman | 12.18.14 More � -All Films- 22 Jump Street Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Annabelle Annie The Babadook The Best of Me Beyond the Lights Big Eyes Big Hero 6 Big Hero 6 3D Birdman The Book of Life The Boxtrolls Chinnadana Nee Kosam (Chinnadana Neekosam) Chuck & Friends Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Dolphin Tale 2 Dracula Untold Dumb and Dumber To The Equalizer Exodus: Gods and Kings Exodus: Gods and Kings 3D Force Majeure (Turist) Foxcatcher Fury The Gambler Gone Girl Guardians of the Galaxy The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in HFR 3D The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies An IMAX 3D Experience HFR The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies An IMAX 3D Experience The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in 3D The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in HFR 3D The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Horrible Bosses Horrible Bosses 2 How to Train Your Dragon 2 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 The Imitation Game Interstellar Interstellar in 4K Digital The Interview Into the Storm Into the Woods John Wick Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas Lucy Maleficent The Maze Runner Mukunda Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Nightcrawler No Good Deed Ouija Penguins of Madagascar Penguins of Madagascar 3D PK (Peekay) The Pyramid Selma Snowpiercer (Seolguk-yeolcha) St. Vincent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Theory of Everything Top Five Unbroken Whiplash Wild Today Friday, December 26 Saturday, December 27 Sunday, December 28 Monday, December 29 Tuesday, December 30 Wednesday, December 31 A confident historical drama, �Selma� doesn�t waste a second MLK biopic speaks to today�s political concerns on multiple levels by Curt Holman | 12.25.14 Retired CNN director looks back on 34 years of history � 2 Three decades of live television and the evolution of Ted Turner�s �silly� idea by Gavin Godfrey | 12.18.14 �Selma� star opens up about playing MLK Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo on losing himself in the role and fearing for his life by Ronda Racha Penrice | 12.22.14 FAQ | Info | Advertising | Jobs | Submit a Listing | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Staff | Her South | Comment Policy | RSS December 25, 2014 Movies & TV � Movie Review HOLD ON, BE STRONG: Oprah Winfrey stars as civil rights activist Annie Lee Cooper in Selma . Official Site: www.selmamovie.com Director : Ava DuVernay Writer : Ava DuVernay and Paul Webb Producer : Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Oprah Winfrey Cast : Lorraine Toussaint, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Roth, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Tessa Thompson, Tom Wilkinson, David Oyelowo and Common As suits a film about bold political brinkmanship, Selma isn't shy about drawing parallels between Martin Luther King Jr.'s voting rights campaign of 1965 and the police brutality protests of today. The film was in production in Selma and the Atlanta area well before the high-profile deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, but Selma 's closing credits include a hip-hop song by Common that explicitly name-checks the tensions in Ferguson, Mo. Scenes in Selma depict police using choke holds and shooting unarmed demonstrators, directly evoking the charged contemporary conversation on race and law enforcement. Such relevance alone would make Selma a compelling film, but the confident historical drama speaks to today's political concerns on multiple levels. Director/co-writer Ava DuVernay covers complex events and multiple points of view with remarkable economy: Selma doesn't waste a second. After a warm, quiet scene between MLK and Coretta Scott King (English actors David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo), the film hits the ground running, recalling U.S. race relations in the mid-1960s. The year 1965 should be a time of triumph, with King having won the Nobel Peace Prize the year before and U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) having just signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But small-town Southern registrars deny African-Americans the ability to vote through absurd, draconian requirements. King and his inner circle choose to focus on Selma, Ala., as a means to lobby for legislation to put teeth in the Civil Rights Act. When King first visits Selma and tries to check into an apparently segregated hotel, some racist rando walks up and punches him square in the face. Even more shocking than the violence is the sneering impunity behind the good ol' boy's act, since he clearly fears no reprisals. DuVernay masterfully builds suspense leading up to confrontations with the authorities, including multiple scenes on the notorious Edmund Pettus Bridge . Selma doesn't settle for showing good confronting evil, but conveys the characters' competing agendas. LBJ genuinely supports King, but also wants him as the face of the Civil Rights Movement as opposed to "one of those militant Malcolm X types." In Selma, young activists with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, including future Georgia congressman John Lewis (Stephan James), express suspicion that King and his colleagues will swoop into town and take all the glory. And everyone's fully aware of the media attention � what today's politicos would call the "optics" of the campaign. King even questions himself, and while briefly in a Selma prison, wonders how much good the vote can do for African-Americans shackled by poverty and poor education. Selma presents an admiring but not idealized portrait of King, acknowledging his marital problems with Coretta and some potential missteps in his leadership. Oyelowo's round face, contained body languages, and rolling rhetoric in the pulpit convey the experience of seeing King in the flesh. A full two hours, Selma could have carried an even longer run time. The film includes most of King's inner circle, including Rev. Ralph David Abernathy (Colman Domingo), James Bevel (Common), and Andrew Young (Andr� Holland), but doesn't much distinguish between their personalities and roles in the movement. Hosea Williams stands out mostly because he's played by the wry, charismatic Wendell Pierce. Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch) even appears on the scene extending an olive branch to King's organization, but we don't see how the episode plays out. On the other hand, the out-of-nowhere celebrity appearances, like Cuba Gooding Jr. and Martin Sheen as a lawyer and a judge, respectively, feel kitschy and distracting, if not as obtrusive as Brad Pitt's white-savior turn at the end of 12 Years a Slave . Selma may be likely to follow that film as this year's Oscar winner for Best Picture. A film's awards prospects tend to be a sideshow to its merits as art, but Selma 's potential laurels could raise its ability to contribute to a real-world dialogue. ( Boyhood may be the critical favorite, but Selma seems closer to the kind of film the Academy honors, and is good enough to deserve it.) Selma serves as a reminder of the virulence of American racism and the courage underlying nonviolent protests. The hatred and underlying fear didn't dissipate with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and while this country has seen significant social improvements since 1965, you don't have to look far on the Internet to find far uglier attitudes than you might expect. But Selma reminds viewers that individuals acting in concert can genuinely effect positive change � a heartening message in disheartening times. Nice job Gavin. Relevant questions. This is CNN! Ted Turner did a lot for southern� I think that this interview should be shared with J-school students. I saw some of the movie today. Its ugly, brutal and ignorant. The things Black� I want him to keep playing madea can't nobody play madea like Tyler Perry he� I am a 38 year old Caucasian male. I live in Texas (roughly 30 minutes� � 2014 Creative Loafing Atlanta Powered by Foundation AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 18 261 19th Street NW Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16 & IMAX 261 19th St. N.W. AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16 & IMAX 261 19th St. N.W. Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 18 261 19th Street NW AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16 & IMAX 261 19th St. N.W. Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 18 261 19th Street NW AMC Phipps Plaza 14 3500 Peachtree Road N.E.
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