'Fences' - The Movie

Fences, a film set in the 1950s and directed by its leading man, Denzel Washington, is a fearless masterpiece that reveals life as it is, as opposed to what we prefer it to be.

Some critics claim that it is only rivaled by the 1987 award-winning Broadway version, starring James Earl Jones.

The thunderous portrayal of Troy Maxson by Mr. Washington sets the foundation of an authority figure, who has been forced into manhood by much pain, and much fear. His present achievements of having a good wife (played by Viola Davis), two sons, and a home—bought and payed for—are testaments of his strength, and the overcoming of his childhood demons... It's a perfect formula for any man—or, so one would think, until his ways are confronted and examined by his youngest son, who has dreams of his own.

Here lies the fork—or, should I say, the "fence"—in the road!

Viola Davis is commanding, believable, and show-stopping as Rose Maxson. Her ability to absorb, yet cushion, the blows of her difficult and demanding husband are only matched by the well of her unbridled truth, from which she allows him to drink, liberally... She, too, is a survivor in this quiet, silent kingdom of functioning disfunction, that gets worse before it gets better.

My personal opinion of what makes this film so good is that it deals so perfectly with our imperfections, our fear of the unknown, and our attempts to conceal what needs to be dealt with... This film gives us a glimpse of who we are, where we've been, and where we have the ability to go. With that being said, I am so tempted to end this review right here, but would be remiss if I didn't mention the role of Troy's brother, Gabriel (played by Frankie Faison).

To the world, this character, who is mentally challenged and continually chipping away at the rigid wall of Troy's reasoning, may seem the the most flawed of all... But, if truth be told, he is the only constant—the center around which seeming reality rotates—and I can vouch that Mr. Faison is true to the demands of his debilitated character, yet continues to love and remain a gentleman, regardless of the madness surrounding him.

M. Handy

COOTW Literary Works

Director: Denzel Washington Writers: August Wilson (screenplay), August Wilson (based upon his play "Fences")

Stars: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson Cast:Denzel Washington -Troy MaxsonViola Davis -Rose MaxsonStephen Henderson -Jim Bono (as Stephen McKinley Henderson)Jovan Adepo-CoryRussell Hornsby -LyonsWilliamson -GabrielSaniyya Sidney -RaynellMele -Deputy Commissioner

Photo Credits: Publicity photos for the film "FENCES" taken from IMDb.com

Tags: #COOTW #M Handy #Movie #Film #Denzel Washington #ViolaDavis #Fences

© 2017 by M. Handy/COOTW Literary Works