Fences (2016) [Blu-ray]
Drama

An African American father struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life. Troy Maxson makes his living as a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh. Maxson once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but was deemed too old when the major leagues began admitting black athletes. Bitter over his missed opportunity, Troy creates further tension in his family when he squashes his son's chance to meet a college football recruiter.

Storyline: Troy Maxson makes his living as a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh. Maxson once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but was deemed too old when the major leagues began admitting black athletes. Bitter over his missed opportunity, Troy creates further tension in his family when he squashes his son's chance to meet a college football recruiter. Written by Jwelch5742

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, March 8, 2017 Fences is a movie about boundaries. The process of building one with saw, wood, post digger, hammer, and nails is a recurring sight and source of discussion in the film, but so too, and more important to the story, are the metaphorical fences erected by a man who is at once both beaten down by life and blessed with the good things life has to offer. The literal and metaphorical fences mean different things to different people in the story, literally as a means of keeping things in and keeping things out, which often has a tie to the emotional boundaries that are erected and crumbled throughout the film as well. Denzel Washington both stars and directs in the film, based on the late Playwright August Wilson's stage production and subsequent screen adaptation. The film returns nearly all of its primary cast from the play's latest Broadway show for the film adaptation.

Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) is a garbage man in 1950s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, doing what he can to scrape by and live as comfortably as circumstance allows. His wife Rosie (Viola Davis) is his caring, goodhearted companion who looks beyond her husband's boozing and tendencies to outbursts and frank talk with his friend, Jim (Stephen Henderson). Troy has plenty of regrets in life, and many are holding him, and his family, back. He still laments his failure to crack into big league baseball because of the color of his skin. He believes he's more valuable to his company as a driver rather than a garbage collector. He's at odds with his eldest son, Lyons (Russell Hornsby), a struggling musician. His other son Cory (Jovan Adepo), and his only child with Rosie, sees for himself a future in football, but Troy won't allow it. Tory's brother Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson), a wounded war veteran, is mentally impaired, and Troy has financially benefited from his disability. As Troy faces his past demons, he manufactures more of his own as he lives on a dangerous path that could wipe out the good things that life has given him alongside his decades of hardship.

Fences tells the story of an imperfect man living in an imperfect world that has beaten him down and stripped away his will, or ability, to get back up. He puts on an outward façade of knowledge and of confidence gained from his trials and, occasionally, finds the humor in it all, but this is the story of personal deterioration, fear, and an inability to accept all of the good that life's dealt him at the same time. As the film, and as time, progresses, Troy sinks deeper into negativity, holding onto past wrongs while making new mistakes along the way. His friends warn him, his children are scared of him, and his wife grows ever distant despite her best efforts to remain a rock at his side. Troy challenges death itself -- he fears it, but knows its looms -- literally as he screams from his window on a particularly dark night and metaphorically as his personal barriers increase in size and number. It's a fascinating, if not heartbreaking and emotionally challenging, story. It's remarkably well done, too, insightful and honest, real and relatable, dissolving artificial barriers of time and place and telling a story of life, family, triumphs, tragedies, and self-made destruction that will resonate long after it ends.

The film's stage production roots are evident throughout. There are only two primary locations -- a postage-stamp sized backyard and a few home interiors -- that stage the bulk of the drama, which comes almost completely from conversation and a few character-defining and -evolving actions that result from conversation. The film's opening 20 minutes are remarkable. It's in many ways representative of what the entire film has on offer -- sharp dialogue and natural execution thereof -- but it's also, in some ways, dissimilar from what the rest of the movie holds. The open is buoyant and cheerful, hinting at Troy's demons but it's only after, as other characters are introduced and his history, flaws, mistakes, and character are fully revealed, that the film takes on its full dramatic shape. Yet no matter the dramatic challenges, the movie proves wildly successful in shaping it with flawless performances all around that elevate the material considerably and bring it the human depth and discovery it deserves. The film grows increasingly hard to watch for its ever-darkening themes, but its entirety is a pleasure considering its remarkable performances and deeply-rooted themes.

Fences is one of the most emotionally engaging and purposeful films of 2016. Incredible character depth, obvious but complex allegory, amazing performances, and riveting character drama and dialogue drive the film well above so many more crude movies that rely on cinema trickery, not heartfelt human condition exploration, to mask empty-vessel storytelling. Not so here. This is storytelling at its finest and one of the most rewarding views in recent history. Fences the movie cannot escape the Fences stage production roots, but it doesn't matter: the film excels at exploring its character and the flawed human condition, engaging viewers with real dramatic heft rather than empty sight-and-sound shenanigans. Paramount's Blu-ray is excellent, boosting high-end video and audio along with a few good extras. Very highly recommended.

[CSW] -3.2- This film had great acting, direction, cinematography, character development and it did represents a historically true and accurate part of black society at some time in the past and which, in some small part, is still with us today. But I certainly found little pleasure in watching it. Denzel's character was loud, overbearing, far from admirable, and tiresome to be in the company of. His few virtues (yes, he had some) were strictly at the margins. The story was depressing, and it went on far, far too long. Some very good acting couldn't overcome all these drawbacks. It should be seen but be prepared for a true but not so pleasant look into disrupted manhood.
[V4.5-A4.0] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box

P.S. Remember this is an August Wilson play transitioned from stage to screen. Plays are written as dialog-strong pieces. This film was all fast paced dialogue but easy to understand. That much talking and over-projection doesn't play well on screen when strict interpretation of the script is employed. This felt like it was the original script from the play. It needed to be toned down, slowed down and edited for the film audience that has more to do than just watch people talk on a minimalist stage. Remember if you want to know what people are thinking read a book. If you want to know what people are saying watch a play. If you want to know what people are doing watch a movie.


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