Movie Reaction: Loving

Formula: Romeo & Juliet * Selma

There's nothing special about the Lovings. They are just two people, who live in the country and love each other very much. That's it, or at least, that's how they are painted in the film Loving.

Set in Virginia in the 1950s, Loving is the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who get married in Washington D.C. since it is illegal in their home state. They are people of simple desires. Richard races cars and works construction. Mildred wants to raise her children. You wouldn't expect them to be part of the landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled that all states must recognize interracial marriage. That's what happened though.

Director Jeff Nichols does a great job resisting the urge to make Loving a bigger movie than it is. It's understated in nearly every way. Mildred and especially Richard are people of very few words. Their marriage is treated like an unneeded complication by disapproving family members, not a moral outrage. They just want to live out in the country where they grew up and don't want to cause any trouble. They're forced into shaking things up though and accept only as much of the spotlight as they must. The courtroom speeches are kept to a minimum and the emotional beats are as small as they can be. For example, all Richard has to say to the U.S. Supreme Court is "I love my wife." I spent most of the movie wishing they would elaborate then glad that they didn't.

Ruth Negga and Joel Edgarton are impressive in the lead roles. Edgarton is uncomfortable all the time. As Richard, he's willing to work hard to provide for his wife and family, but he's constantly bewildered by the additional challenges he faces above the ordinary. Negga plays Mildred as both a woman who really does want as simple a life as Richard but also sees the significance of the legal case around their marriage. She's the one who pushes them into the fight.

I wasn't expecting to like Loving as much as I did. Jeff Nichols broke from the civil rights "formula" that many movies follow and made something restrained and ultimately more meaningful. All the characters are treated like real people, from the opportunistic lawyers who have the noblest of intentions to go along with the careerist ones, to the law enforcement who just don't like people trying to shake the establishment, to the family members who don't want to see their sister, son, or daughter live a harder life than he or she must. It's nice to see a film that remembers that there is a difference between something being "big" and something being "impactful".

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend