Honest, but ordinarily treated!

Rating: 6/10 (13 January 2015)

Ava DuVernay's 'Selma' is an honest film, about a significant chapter in American History, but the tone as well as the execution is so ordinarily done, that it doesn't throw you in the power you might expect. It has its share of pluses, but overall, it has a very thin vibe, which adds up as a minus.
'Selma' Synopsis: A chronicle of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.
Late/Great Dr.King's journey to secure equal voting rights, was nothing short of astonishing. He emerged victorious & made a breakthrough for all his people. And 'Selma', without a shed of doubt, is a earnest attempt to re-tell his story.
But, as I mentioned before, the treatment is plain ordinary. Be it sequences of those violent epic marches or moments of Dr.King's personal life, they all look as if they were shot with less enthusiasm.
Paul Webb's Screenplay is good, but not gut-wrenching. Ava DuVernay's Direction is impressive, but only in parts. Cinematography & Editing are sharp. Score by Jason Moran is passable.
Performance-Wise: David Oyelowo as Dr.King, delivers a committed performance. He embodies the American legend & enacts the part with gusto. He's the best thing about 'Selma', hands down! Tom Wilkinson as Lyndon B. Johnson, is over-the-top. Tim Roth as George Wallace, is limited to a few scenes. Common as James Beve, is fair. Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, is very good. Oprah Winfrey as Annie Lee Cooper, is wasted. Martin Sheen as Frank Minis Johnson & Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Fred Gray, leave a mark.
On the whole, 'Selma' isn't bad, but it isn't great either. One expected much more!