Title: Fences
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Denzel Washington
Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo
Runtime: 2 hr 19 mins

What It Is: Troy Maxson (Washington) is a trashman. He goes to work, earns his pay and tries to enjoy his family and friends. His wife Rose (Davis) keeps the home and assures dinner’s on the table etc. Typical gender stereotypes. When a potential promotion and some shocking revelations shake this marriage to its core we are privy to the raw emotions the couple must endure while still holding the familial unit together. Adapted from the Tony-Award winning play it features the same two actors in the leads.

What We Think: There’s a rawness to the whole film. It is one that is uncomfortable at times. Denzel plays Troy in a way that he is almost impossible to truly like. You don’t even know his motives for being such a dick really. Viola Davis is an absolute powerhouse here. She gives a performance with which director Denzel can stack his whole film. She, like an actual mother, is the bedrock on which Denzel can show Troy’s vulnerability. Where their son (played by Adepo) can hate his father, can trust his mother and can grow.

Our Grade: C+, The film too often for me falls flat. From the perspective of staging, it looks too much like they were shooting a play and not enough like a movie. Likewise, outside of Viola Davis’ usual stellar some of the other performances do not align nearly as well. I am still going to recommend you see the film, especially given the Oscar buzz surrounding it! I’d also like to shout out Denzel Washington here for his direction of the film which though not great was far better than I expected given his past directorial efforts. The last of which was nine years ago.