Fences (2016)

[Scottie]

[Herry Dunston]

Jeebus, it's not even released widely, and they're banking on a mid-March release?

[Leonidas King]

This movie needs more discussion on here. It's absolutely amazing! Day one purchase for sure.

[mreagan88]

delete

[BluCollector13]

They should delay this to April as we all know there's no way Viola Davis is leaving the Dolby Theatre without that Oscar this year.

[theater dreamer]

I really want to see this film. Huge fan of both Denzel and Viola.

[GeoffOliver]

I have no idea why Viola Davis is in the Supporting Actress categories for this film. She has almost as much screen time as Denzel, was easily the heart and soul of the film, and would probably win too. Also, her name is shared with Denzel's above the title. When it comes to acting, it's just as much her film as it is Denzel's.

Great movie though. A little stagey, but the performances were excellent, and it told a good story.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

I have no idea why Viola Davis is in the Supporting Actress categories for this film. She has almost as much screen time as Denzel, was easily the heart and soul of the film, and would probably win too. Also, her name is shared with Denzel's above the title. When it comes to acting, it's just as much her film as it is Denzel's.

Great movie though. A little stagey, but the performances were excellent, and it told a good story.

No one does but it pretty much guarantees her an Oscar.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

I have no idea why Viola Davis is in the Supporting Actress categories for this film. She has almost as much screen time as Denzel, was easily the heart and soul of the film, and would probably win too. Also, her name is shared with Denzel's above the title. When it comes to acting, it's just as much her film as it is Denzel's.

Great movie though. A little stagey, but the performances were excellent, and it told a good story.

i agree about the performances but as a story, this is my least favorite Wilson play

[Paul.R.S]

Although there are those who will argue that such a stagey, talky film doesn't merit a 4K UHD release, I'd disagree. Frustrating but par for the Par course that this isn't (yet?) getting a UHD BD release.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Paul.R.S

Although there are those who will argue that such a stagey, talky film doesn't merit a 4K UHD release, I'd disagree. Frustrating but par for the Par course that this isn't (yet?) getting a UHD BD release.

Neither is Moonlight... and it won best picture (suck it, La La Land).

Of the African American centered pictures that received nominations, only Hidden Figures is getting a UHD Blu-ray release so far.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

I have no idea why Viola Davis is in the Supporting Actress categories for this film. She has almost as much screen time as Denzel, was easily the heart and soul of the film, and would probably win too. Also, her name is shared with Denzel's above the title. When it comes to acting, it's just as much her film as it is Denzel's.

Every scene in the movie is about Denzel's character, every character in the movie exists to support his character. Every line that every character has is either about Denzel, or about how they relate to Denzel. There's nothing wrong with that, but her role is practically the definition of a supporting performance.

[Paul.R.S]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

. . . every character in the movie exists to support his character. Every line that every character has is either about Denzel, or about how they relate to Denzel. There's nothing wrong with that, but her role is practically the definition of a supporting performance.

What a problematically patriarchal critique. Sadly, I think you're missing one of the central themes of not only one of Viola's most powerful scenes in the picture but of the picture itself.

Be all that as it may, there are those who in the awards calculus would take issue with your analysis insofar as it appears overly based on a narrow "definition." Breaking down a script in terms of character motivations and relationships to one another is only one component of what determines if a perf is "supporting" or lead. I haven't gone to the Acad Website and read the rules, but that's only part of the picture. It seems to me that--in the practical analysis--part of what is also of concern is how much screen time an actor gets, how much dialogue they have and what emotional take-away does the actor bring to the piece.

Your comments may make sense in terms of stageplay structure. But that's academic stuff. I wonder whether Viola's reps campaigned to have her in the supporting category to arguably help insure a win. That kind of practical calculus is the Hollywood way, not the academic stuff.

[Paul.R.S]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Neither is Moonlight... and it won best picture (suck it, La La Land).

Of the African American centered pictures that received nominations, only Hidden Figures is getting a UHD Blu-ray release so far.

Yes, I've noted; thanks.

Neither is Manchester or Hell.

This is perhaps the biggest signpost so far on the path to my cooled ardor for the prospects of 4K UHD BD. If, at the height of media awareness, critical adulation and ad spending, nearly half the Best Picture nominees aren't getting released on the format, I almost think it naive to have thought, say, eight months ago that we might see the likes of Ordinary People and Waiting To Exhale finally hit BD or maybe even UHD.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by Paul.R.S

It seems to me that--in the practical analysis--part of what is also of concern is how much screen time an actor gets, how much dialogue they have and what emotional take-away does the actor bring to the piece.

I am saying that amount of screentime and number of lines of dialogue matter significantly less when judging whether a character is a lead or supporting than what the screentime and dialogue are about. That's exactly *why* awards shows like the Oscars eschews those sort of counting-the-lines metrics, because you can have a character like Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain", who has only a bit more actual screentime than Gyllenhaal, and clearly has less dialogue because he's the silent one, but is obviously the lead, because he is the nexus for all the storypoints and characters.

I'm not sure what you mean by "what emotional take-away does the actor bring to the piece", that seems to more relate to whether the performance is good or bad than whether it is a lead or supporting.

[Paul.R.S]

Unsurprisingly, I disagree with your comments about Brokeback and Jack Twist, too.

[Member-38928]

I bought Fences blind during Target's recent B2G1 Free deal and the 2 reviews on this that I have read so far both recommended a rental. So I am having second thoughts on my purchase.

So my question is this, in you guy's opinions what sort of replay value dose Fences have?

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by bentvalve

I bought Fences blind during Target's recent B2G1 Free deal and the 2 reviews on this that I have read so far both recommended a rental. So I am having second thoughts on my purchase.

So my question is this, in you guy's opinions what sort of replay value dose Fences have?

Thanks in advance!

The acting is powerful, especially from Viola Davis.

[Member-38928]

Thanks^ yeah, I have no doubt that there are some great performances in Fences but does it stop there and does the movie really work?

The 2 reviews I was referring to. vv

DVD Movie Guide Blu-ray review

Originally Posted by DVDMG closing thoughts

Although Fences worked as a stage production, it doesn’t translate to the movie screen all that well. Too much of the film feels contrived and it lacks many cinematic qualities. The Blu-ray boasts very good visuals along with acceptable audio and a smattering of superficial bonus materials. While strong acting bolsters it, Fences feels too much like a filmed stage play for my liking.

DVD Talk Theatrical Review

Originally Posted by DVDTalk closing thoughts

Adapting content from one medium to another requires a lot of care and thought. The adjustments needed are what allow a story to thrive in the context of another perspective. Unfortunately, Wilson's screenplay suffers in the translation, even despite strong themes. Having never seen the original play, the father-son story at the core is often unsuccessful. Overly-dramatic moments that would have been beautiful on stage simply pull the audience out of the experience on the silver screen. Even so, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis provide show-stopping performances that deserve every ounce of awards attention that they have received thus far. Fences holding onto its vision as a play is exactly what hurts it from thriving as a film. Rent it.

[Member-38928]

Well I see Martin Liebman posted his review yesterday, he gave the movie a solid 5 out of 5.