Selma

Hey folks! Welcome to The Bosses’ Desk. It’s the new year and with that comes new films. Happy New Year! Today, I’m going to tell you about a film that I feel has the potential to be a real Oscar contender this year. That’s right! As the title of this article suggests, the movie I’m talking about is Selma, starring David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, & Tim Roth.

There’s so many things I enjoyed about this movie. The shots were gorgeous and the story is timeless and relevant. What I want people to know is that this is not really a Biopic on Dr. Martin Luther King. The movie sheds a spotlight on a specific moment in time and key characters involved. The peace marches of Selma, Alabama.

The film takes to several perspectives of key players in the events of the Selma peace marches that called for freedom of blacks to vote in the south. Though the right to vote was given to all Americans at this time, white officials made it difficult for black citizens to register to vote. The peace marches in Selma, Alabama were conducted to shed a light on this problem and give all American citizens the right to vote with out oppression.

I have to hand it to director, Ava DuVernay, she really makes a wonderfully designed film. There are some really powerful scenes throughout the film, but she makes an incredible statement at the start of the film using the 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing. It’s so powerful that it jolts you at the start of the film and wakes audiences to the events that are taking place in the film.

The performances in the movie were simply incredible. Stephan James did an excellent job as John Lewis in the film. I previously watched James in When The Game Stands Tall and saw amazing potential there as well. My only grip with James is that when he gets passionate in his delivery of lines, he tends to raise the octave of his voice, but he’s still an incredible talent nonetheless.

Tessa James (forefront) as Diane Nash.

Tessa Thompson was another amazing talent in this film as well. Even though she didn’t get as much screen time, what time she does has she uses it effectively. If you want to see her really let loose a good movie to see her in is Dear White People (Which is on my top 5 movies of 2014 list now).

Tim Roth is talent in anything he does he wears his characters and effortless carries out his performances. This can make you hate him or love him in the roles that he takes on. He certainly made you hate the character of Gov. George Wallace in this film. Some of the exchanges that he has between his character and President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) are some really interesting exchanges.

Carmen Ejogo always does an amazing job in the movies she’s in (even in the Purge: Anarchy). What Ejogo does in the film is set Coretta Scott King apart as her own character in the film as opposed to showing her as just a one-dimensional character in the story of King. It’s wonderful and refreshing to see her interaction with Oyelowo. There are some really great moments and exchanges in the film between Coretta and Martin that are a joy to watch.

Each actors performance was incredible, but I thoroughly enjoyed David Oyelowo’s portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film. In most films King’s Cadence in his speech delivery tends to carried over to his conversational exchanges causing the actors that play him to be caricatures. Oyelowo, however, embodies King in a way that is not overwhelming and still shows us the essence of who this man was to those around him and to his family. He becomes a very real character that we understand as a human being but brings about great change in the world around him

I loved the way that the movie doesn’t focus on just King, but gives a spotlight to the key player’s involved in this moment in time. It shines a light on how effective non-violent protests in situations of this nature. I’m definitely going to recommend that you see this one. It’s worth the price of the ticket in any way, shape, or form. It’s open in theaters nationwide, so go check it out!