Fences

Release Date: 2016 Length: 166 min

“Some people build fences to keep people out, and other people build fences to keep people in.” -Jim Bono

Director: Denzel Washington (Known for Malcolm X, Training Day, and Philadelphia) Writer: August Wilson (Known for Fences) Actors: Denzel Washington Viola Davis (Known for Widows, Lila and Eve, and The Help) Jovan Adepo (Known for Overlord and Mother!)

Summary: Troy Maxson was once a famous baseball player, but now is a dump truck worker with a wife and two sons. Despite being a family man, Troy struggles to connect with them. He finds that if he doesn’t change soon, he will lose everything that he holds dear.

Overall Thoughts: Fences is a story about the pain surrounding an ordinary family. It was hard to watch the movie because you sympathize with Troy, but at the same time, you hate him. The decision to intentionally make the main character a terrible person is interesting because most movies in Hollywood have a hero as the protagonist. The fact that the movie doesn’t end well is also very different than what you usually see. Denzel Washington plays the character of Troy very well. He shows the characteristics of both a selfish and a selfless man. The way he shows what Troy believes the meaning of family is can be seen clearly in Washington’s performance. Viola Davis, in my opinion, has the most important role in the film because her character keeps the whole family together. Rose has so much love for everyone, even when her life has been by far the hardest. Rose is also the strongest because, despite the betrayal and that the child she needs to take care of isn’t her’s. Jovan Adepo plays the character Cory perfectly throughout the entire movie. The fear and love for his father are so evident in Adepo’s acting. Together as an ensemble, every actor and actress was able to play extended scenes with nothing but dialogue so incredibly well, which impressed me even more than I already was by the time the movie was finished. Denzel Washington shows just how talented he is in Fences because he is able to skillfully balance the roles of the director and the main character. It takes a lot of knowledge and organization to be able to successfully direct such a powerful film while acting simultaneously. The way he structured the whole movie to feel similar to a play is perfect.

Ratings: Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92 % My Rating: 90%