Loving

2017 marks fifty years since the Supreme Court decision of Loving v. Virginia. And while the movie Loving is a holdover from last year, its timing is perfect. The movie is a strong portrait of the plaintiffs behind the landmark case.

1958, Virginia. Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Jeter (Ruth Negga) are in love. Because he's white and she's black, their state's anti-miscegenation laws aren't on their side. So they go to Washington DC to get married. Somebody alerts the authorities to their married bliss and they're arrested in the middle of the night. A plea agreement keeps them out of prison and away from Virginia. Their dreams of married life will have to go elsewhere.

The Civil Rights Movement steps in. The Lovings are introduced to the ACLU, who are willing to take their case to the Supreme Court. While Richard is exhausted by the ordeal, Mildred is hopeful they'll win. They both realize that their victory will help other mixed-race couples in their situation.

Writer/Director Jeff Nichols dramatized the events told in the documentary, The Loving Story. The Academy classified this as an Adapted Screenplay, rather than Original like the WGA, for this reason. The story is good no matter the classification. It starts when Mildred tells Richard she's pregnant and Richard decides to marry her. Their chemistry tells a lot about them straight away. They're as devoted as any couple of their day. One can feel the outrage when they're arrested for the crime of marriage.

As stated before, Edgerton and Negga's performances as the Lovings are great. Their supporting cast is made of a few fine actors. Michael Shannon has a nice cameo as Life Magazine photographer Grey Villet. Bill Camp is also good as the Lovings' first lawyer, Frank Beazley, who is more sympathetic to them than other Virginia officials. Nick Kroll and Jon Bass are the best; as ACLU lawyer Bernie Cohen and law expert Phil Hirschkop, they provide some well-needed comic relief.

David Wingo's score is a perfectly melancholic soundtrack. The production design and cinematographer Adam Stone present a subdued depiction of the 58-67. Editor Julie Monroe's work is the best; her best moments come in the Lovings' arrests and a dramatic scene between Richard and his younger son, Donald. The makeup work was good too; it certainly made Edgerton an unrecognizable blonde.

Loving's biggest issue is its subdued 122 minutes. Its pace is slow and certain events are told in passing. It may not strike some as strong storytelling but I think it's fine. An overdramatic version would've made the story less meaningful. This film wants you to know the Lovings as people; like Villet's photos, it works.