8/10

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 2015)

This film is so not clichéd, not didactic, not manipulative, not Oscar-bait I couldn't believe I was finally seeing a historic movie about this subject matter done right after last year's disappointments in "The Butler" and "12 Years a Slave" (yes! I found 12 years to be good but nothing more).
I was moved to genuine tears about ten times in Selma and they always came from the most intimate and small moments. Finally a movie that understands (like this year's "Imitation Game") that pulling on your heartstrings with self set up moments that scream at you to cry and to be moved without having built up any emotional core with honesty, don't work (I am looking at you 12 years)! The beauty of how laid back, but powerful the film is, wow, it reaches a balance of emotions that is truly remarkable. Hats off to Ava Duvarney for making very conscious and smart decisions that really came through screen and were definitely helped by a brilliant and very dense screenplay by Webb and a very, very magnificent photography. This film really has shots that even if deprived of their emotional resonance would have left my mouth open. Obviously, the cast has to be acknowledged for their flawless work Tom Wilkinson really shines, but David Oyelowo. My god what a performance to behold. He transitions into this real life character perfectly and makes it his own. Just wow, I am really wordless. Very good use of music by the way and amazing original song: "Glory".
Despite all this amazing stuff there is one simple thing that doesn't work in the film. It repeatedly has some moments in which it seems to turn off and drag. They are really out of nowhere because as soon as they stop you are back in it and riveted, but in more occasions it seemed like the director went to take a nap and left the actors direct themselves without even following a plan. It was really weird because there were these moments where it seemed I was bored, but then forgot about them until the next one came on. There aren't really a lot , but they really stuck out.
I struggled so much to give a grade to this movie, it is right nearly there at 8.5, but misses it by a hair for me, it just missed that kick to make me go "whoa" after the credits rolled, but I left the theater truly inspired and feeling like the two hours spent in the cinema where really, really worth it.