Loving

“Loving” is a slight little film and a tad slow at times, but that doesn’t make it any less worth checking out. The performances are very strong and the story is a relevant one that will resonate with you. Jeff Nichols has done a fine job bringing this story you’ve probably never heard of, to life.

Based on true events, Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton) has just found out that his girlfriend Mildred Jeter (Ruth Negga) has become pregnant. Soon after their wedding in Washington, D. C., the couple moves back home to Virginia and are arrested under the state’s anti-miscegenation laws. What follows is a 10-year-long battle that will go all the way to the Supreme Court.

There are big movies about Civil Rights like “Selma”. Stories with devastating heartbreaks, a parade of big actors, bloodshed, and legendary figures you will recognize. This is not one of those films. Richard and Mildred didn’t ask to be a part of history or the kind of people that movies would be made out of. That’s the charm of “Loving”. In very natural performances, Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga bring these simple, normal people to life. It’s a reminder that injustice impacts all of us and that sometimes, the real heroes aren’t the ones that look for glory, it’s the ones who have responsibility thrust upon them. What’s engaging about their story is that there aren’t any big events that allow you to separate yourself from their plight. No lynchings, no conclusive evidence that corrupt police officers are scheming against them, just people stuck in an unfair system. It’s the little things that grind down these charming people’s resolve. All they want is the freedom to live in peace. That’s something we can all relate to.

What I enjoyed about the picture most is the very down-to-earth Lovings and their struggle. The performances here aren’t very big and eye-catching; there are no huge outbursts of emotion. They just feel like real-life people and this is the mark of how good the parts are. They could be your neighbors, your best friends. Everything you need to know about them is learned in the little details, the looks, their body language around each other, the way they settle themselves in their chairs or meekly look at judges and lawyers. It’s an unconventional picture, and that is, in a way, the film’s weakness. Without any really big money-shot moments, I can’t help but think that the 123-minute running time is a bit much. On the upside, it doesn’t follow a 3-act structure, so it’s not predictable and once again, that makes it feel that much more genuine. There are several points throughout where a lesser picture would’ve inserted a villain. This one does not, making this story of injustice that much more tragic. These types of films often name names in order to give us more vengeful audience members a list of graves for us to go visit and spit on. “Loving”, appropriately I think, does not. This film isn’t about getting you angry; it’s about making you hopeful and enjoying the little things. I can appreciate that.

Writer/Director Jeff Nichols handles this story in a very elegant manner. In a lot of these historical dramas, you can see some of the climactic upheavals coming by how they’re shot or the film is structured. Not here. There’s a turning point in the Lovings’ story that’s handled so well in the way it builds suspense and unease, I hope other filmmakers take note. I don’t want to forget to credit the people responsible for the music and score, which I thought was excellent.

“Loving” is a picture worth checking out. There are a lot of good ones playing in the theater right now and I say use this one as a nice pallet cleanser. Between the really heavy, earth-shattering ones and the action-packed special-effects-laden extravaganzas, “Loving” is a nice, genuine and earnest story with great performances and strong direction. (Theatrical version on the big screen, December 10, 2016)