Loving is a touching film about Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial married couple, and their legal battle for their right to live together from their first arrest to the examination of their case at the US Supreme Court. I really liked the film because of how it tells its inspiring story in a very quiet, unspectacular way - it's delicate, intimate and personal and this way it becomes even more powerful. By the end of the movie, I was in tears because the film manages to make you feel these people so close to you. Joel Edgerton was absolutely robbed of a Best Actor nomination for his subdued, terrific performance.
Out of the five performances nominated for Best Actress, Ruth Negga's is definitely the quieter one - it's very unshowy, always very subtle and reserved just like the movie itself. A lesser actress might not have been able to pull off the extreme subtlety required for the role and might have been completely unimpressive, but Ruth Negga instead proves to be a perfect fit for the role, delivering a performance of outstanding sensitivity and beautiful simplicity. The movie does not give much time to Edgerton and Negga to develop Richard and Mildred's relationship prior to their marriage, but thanks to the greatness of the two leads a backstory is not needed - they share an absolutely amazing, low-key chemistry from the very first moment we see them on-screen and their love is pretty much a given because the two actors never allow you to doubt it. It's incredible what Negga manages to convey with her expressions - thanks to her doll-like, delicate face and her big, expressive eyes, Negga suggests every single emotion of the character without having to utter a single word. She has the quiet expressiveness and presence of a silent movie star. Her posture and her acting style have the grace, the dignity and the luminous charm of the great Japanese actress Setsuko Hara - she is just a wonderful presence on-screen and one that is effortlessly and instantly endearing. The amount of power she brings to every little detail is amazing - such as the unforgettable moment in which Richard and Mildred are arrested and she points out to their marriage license and simply says "I'm his wife". In the scenes that show her in prison or when the couple is forced to leave the state of Virginia for 25 years in order not to spent a year in jail, Negga does not say anything but she makes the most out every single little reaction. There is one moment in particular that impressed me and it occurs when the Lovings come back to Virginia so that Mildred could give birth to their child while having their families around, but the police finds out and comes to arrest them once again: the dignity and courage she exudes as she gently gives her baby to her siser, stands up, puts her coat on and goes to face the police is astonishing. In the scenes at the Loving' house at Washington, Negga is very good at conveying her character's happiness in regards to her marriage and her children but also her homesickness.
The character of Mildred, writing-wise, could have easily been paper-thin but Negga disappears so well into the role (the accent is pretty much flawless) and portrays so well her personality that she completely overcomes these limitations. What I love the most about Negga's performance is that behind her graceful, fragile appearence she conveys a great wisdom, intelligence and resilience - she does not speak a lot, but she is the one who writes a letter to Robert Kennedy and who ultimately brings the case to the attention of the ACLU. Again she is so brilliant in the scene in which she is called by the ACLU - you can read every emotion across her eyes and her face. While Richard is not very comfortable with the attention that their case brings to them, Mildred is sure that the attention of the country is what they need to be able to live together in their house of their dreams in Virginia - there's such a beautiful hopefulness in her performance that it's just heartwarming and inspiring to watch. She is optimist regarding their lawyers and she sincerely believes that the journalists are on their side even when her husband is doubtful: Negga though makes sure that her optimism does not come from naivety but rather from her simple but not stupid belief that ultimately justice will be done. I love her small conversation with Michael Shannon (as the photographer working for LIFE Magazine) in the kitchen in which she again conveys so well her expectations about the future: her delivery of "We may lose the small battles but win the big war" is beautiful because of its sincerity and simplicity. And she is also wonderful in the scene in which she is interviewed and says that their enemies don't matter because they have friends as well - Negga's genuine portrayal of Mildred's quiet determination and hopefulness is inspiring and empowering. And her joyful reaction when she finds out about the Supreme Court's decision brought tears to my eyes.
Negga and Edgerton does not share many moments alone but when they do they are absolutely incredible: I love how the two actors portray their characters' relationship in which Richard and Mildred both rely on and support each other. Negga never allows her character to be reduced to the "supportive wife" stereotype but she still fulfills this side of the role exceptionally well making for an extremely reassuring, warm presence on-screen. The scene in which she comforts Richard in their bedroom is truly heartbreaking thanks to the delicacy and tenderness of the two actors. And I love them in the scene at the end in which journalists ask them questions and they just embrace each other smiling, bringing the needed emotional weight to the movie's ending,
This is a stunning performance from Ruth Negga who turns the simplicity of the role to her favor and delivers a performance of remarkable subtlety, intelligence and warmth. She completely disappears into the character and nails every single nuance without ever having any big scene. It's a truly great performance and I'm absolutely thrilled that the Academy decided to recognize such a quiet piece of work.
5/5
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