Selma

Rating: 8/10 (20 February 2015)

I saw the trailer for this film, I was definitely looking forward to a film about the eponymous black man who spoke the famous "I have a dream" speech, and of course the film being nominated in awards season made it appealing as well. Based on the true events, in 1964 African American Baptist minister, activist and humanitarian Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Golden Globe nominated David Oyelowo) wins the Nobel Peace Prize, meanwhile four African American girls are killed in an explosion in a church, and in Selma, Alabama, African American Annie Lee Cooper (Oprah Winfrey, also producing) is refused the right to vote. King meets President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) to change federal legislation to allow black citizens to vote without prejudice, but the President dismisses this saying there are more important things, so King travels to Selma, with Ralph Abernathy (Colman Domingo), Andrew Young (André Holland), James Orange (Road Trip's Omar J. Dorsey) and Diane Nash (Tessa Thompson), he meets James Bevel (rapper Common) and other SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) activists. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (Happiness's Dylan Baker) tells Johnson that King is a problem, suggesting they should disrupt his marriage, Coretta Scott King (Carmen Ejogo) does have concerns about her husband's upcoming work in Selma, King and black Selma residents march to the registration office to register, but police gather in front of the courthouse, and Cooper knocks Sheriff Jim Clark (Stan Houston) to the ground, she, King and others are arrested. Alabama Governor George Wallace (Tim Roth) speaks out against the movement, Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch) says to Coretta he will drive whites to ally with King, Wallace and Colonel Al Lingo (Stephen Root) use force in an upcoming night march in Marion, Alabama, with state troopers assaulting the marchers, in a restaurant hiding a group of protesters are beaten, and Jimmie Lee Jackson (Keith Stanfield) is shot dead, Jackson's grandfather Cager Lee (Henry G. Sanders) is devastated, King tells the people to continue to fight for their rights, his children are threatened, and he is criticised by members of the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). King considers for a moment cancelling the Selma to Montgomery march, but Young convinces him to persevere, marchers include John Lewis (Stephan James) of SNCC, Reverend Hosea Williams (Wendell Pierce) of SCLC and Selma activist Amelia Boynton (Lorraine Toussaint), state troopers with gas masks wait for them as they cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they then attack with clubs, horses, tear gas and other weapons, many including Lewis and Boynton are badly injured. The attack is shown on national television and covers the front pages of newspapers, movement attorney Fred Gray (Cuba Gooding Jr.) asks federal Judge Frank Minis Johnson (Martin Sheen) to let the march go forward, President Johnson demand King and Wallace to stop their actions, and John Doar (Jurassic Park III's Alessandro Nivola) is sent to convince King to postpone the next march. But the second march sees white Americans, including Viola Liuzzo (Tara Ochs) and James Reeb (Jeremy Strong), joining them, the troopers are lined up as the marchers cross the bridge again, but this time the troopers turn aside to let them pass, King pauses and prayers, then turns to lead the group away, with SNCC activists giving him sharp criticism, that evening Reeb is beaten to death on the street by two white men, King is told, the march is allowed by Judge Johnson. Before a Joint Session of Congress the courage of the activists is praised by President Johnson, he asks to create a bill that will eliminate restrictions on voting in all form elections and polls, his speech proclaims "We shall overcome". The march finally occurs, real footage of the actual event juxtaposes the scene, the marchers reach Montgomery and on the steps of the State Capitol King delivers a speech, the closing text tells that Liuzzo was shot and killed hours later driving back to Selma, and King concludes saying that equality for African Americans is coming, and he continued his work until he was shot. Also starring Giovanni Ribisi as Lee White and E. Roger Mitchell as Frederick Reese. British actor Oyelowo has a great resemblance to the real Martin Luther King Jr., he gives a terrific career-defining performance, Wilkinson is a good choice as President Johnson, and the supporting stars including Winfrey and Common do well also, this is not a biopic about King, it focuses on the three civil rights marches, the moments of racism and cruel violence are hard to watch, but it all feels authentic for the time period, with a great script for the small moments and sweeping action for the bigger ones, these are the sort of brave films that should be made more, a fantastic historical drama. It won the Oscar for Best Song for "Glory" by Common and John Legend (it also won the Golden Globe), and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Director for Ava DuVernay. Very good!