Fences: Review

This is a NON-Spoiler review for Fences.

Plot Summary: "A working-class father tries to raise his family in the 1950s while coming to terms with the events of his life."

I really enjoyed Fences. I think Denzel Washington definitely deserves his Oscar nomination. I found it very obvious that this was originally a play. I don't think it translated very well to film. I think that with plays translated to film that they should try to add something to all the scenes instead of it just people sitting around in one area. With movies, you have to opportunity to do something the play couldn't do and that makes the scene more visually interesting.

But other than that and a few other complaints, I thought this movie was pretty good. I loved the dialogue. It's very funny and classic feeling dialogue that reminded me of movies like Casablanca. It's very interesting sometimes just listening to people talking. The second half of the movie is where it becomes really really good. When stuff starts to go down Denzel Washington and Viola Davis kill it. Viola Davis is magnetic in the second half of the movie. I will definitely be rooting for her at the Oscars. The second half is when the story becomes really interesting and the interactions between all the characters (mainly Denzel Washington and his character's son) are very very interesting to watch.

I think that this movie would work better as a play. I think it could have been made as a movie a little bit better. The acting is really really great and it's very emotional and powerful at times. I really liked Fences and I highly recommend it. The grade for Fences is a B+