Loving is a drama based on a true story from America's south in the 1950s. Mildred (Ethiopian Irish actress Ruth Negga) and Richard (Australian Joel Edgerton) are fighting for the right to live as a mixed race couple in conservative home town of Virginia. They marry in Washington but on returning to Virginia face increasingly awful discrimination and even wind up jailed for this 'crime' for a time.
Loving didn't get any best picture nominations in the recent US 'awards season' but Ruth Negga was nominated for best actress at both the Oscars and Golden Globes and Joel Edgerton for best actor in the Golden Globes. Both give excellent performances that I would describe as understated. I guess it's just the nature of the characters they're playing but this style of performance and indeed characters did mean that my reactions to them were also understated. Whilst it's a story that is at times very sad and at times very uplifting, it didn't bring me to tears once. I literally had the tissues out of my bag ready! (It's important for you to know that I cry at the lamest of things... you know, emotional Kleenex ads and the like.)
So to summarise, I do think this film is a great one but it didn't illicit a strong reaction in me. I left just thinking it was great but not with any particular enthusiasm. I was interested to stumble on this three star review from The Guardian after I saw the film in which the critic says "there might be something a little reticent and even occasionally underpowered about it". Words better crafted than my own to describe my feelings!
Trailer here. In cinemas from Thursday 16 March.