Fences (2016)

Denzel Washington’s latest film shows us a man trying to rule his family, but failing to get the respect he demands. It is a very good film and there was a lot to like in this dramatic and well-acted picture from director Denzel Washington.

The film is about on Troy Maxson (Washington), a waste collector living in 1950’s Pittsburgh. His personality appears to be bright and bubbly at first, but cracks soon begin to show. Within the first few minutes we learn that he has spent time in prison for murder, and as a young man played in the Negro Baseball League. He never made the bigtime in baseball and blames this on his skin colour, rather than his ability.

When Troy’s son, Cory (Jovan Adepo) tells the family that he wants to be an American Footballer, Troy ruins his chances. He tells Cory that he doesn't want him to play because of racism but Cory knows his dads real reason is because he doesn't want his son to be more successful than him. Because of this Troy hates his dad, and this is what shapes the rest of the film

The first thing to mention is the acting. It was extremely genuine and felt like I was watching a real family. Each character played their part and helped make the film feel true to life. I thought the stand out performances were:

Viola Davis, who played Rose, Troy’s wife – She definitely deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She fought against Troy’s actions for their whole marriage, but after his death seemed to take on some of his worst personality traits. All through the film you could feel her struggle to keep her family together, even when she was treated badly by those around her.

Denzel Washington, who played Troy – Washington was really believable, and felt like a real dad. A lot of what he did was out of love, but he was also an angry man who blamed other people for his bad situation. In the end, I wasn’t sure if I liked him, felt sorry for him or was just happy he couldn’t hurt his family anymore.

Mykelti Williamson played Troy’s disabled brother, Gabriel - In some ways he gave the most impressive performance as an injured solider with a serious mental disability. His character was funny and sad, and he was used to show Troy’s caring side.

The film has received good reviews, with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomato and has won a number of awards, including Viola Davis’s Oscar. It definitely felt very realistic, and there were lots of moments that felt like you were watching real life.

Overall, I was impressed by the acting in the film and the story. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The top 3 things about this film:

- Great acting from the main characters

- It felt like you were watching a real life family

- It kept interested all the way through