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Post by PromNightCarrie on Jul 31, 2017 18:07:42 GMT
Continuing my trend of giving focus to performances in award season films that were less recognized than others, I would like to talk about Joel Edgerton in Loving. I just saw this film yesterday for the first time and I already want to buy it. Now as the daughter of a black woman and white man, there are some obvious personal links there. But I've seen race-related films that I've severely disliked because I felt they were too emotionally manipulative for my taste. This film I appreciated because I didn't feel it was emotionally manipulating the audience as much as it was portraying a real-life story in an honest, direct way. Kudos to the talented Jeff Nichols for telling the story of Richard and Mildred Loving in a way that felt true to that quiet real-life couple.
Now on to the performances, I don't need to take anything away from the wonderful, subtle Ruth Negga in order to praise Joel Edgerton. I'm just saying that ever since I read reports on this film from its Cannes screening, it seems all I ever heard about was her, so I would like to talk about Joel Edgerton is all. I've seen the Lovings in clips and Edgerton captured the taciturn Richard Loving superbly. Not only that, he really delivered at handling the pain as well as the strife he endured from all sides for simply loving someone. His acting at times had shades of Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain. And his delivery of the line, "tell the judge I love my wife" could not have been bettered!
Please tell me you too see what I see in this man's performance.
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Post by HELENA MARIA on Jul 31, 2017 18:18:08 GMT
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Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jul 31, 2017 18:25:03 GMT
Absolutely agree with you. Edgerton was just as good as Negga and his character just as important within the confines of the story. I don't think either of the performances from the leads would have worked as well as they did or been nearly as impactful without both parties being at their best and they were. The chemistry between them was palpable and taking into account how little Edgerton in particular says in the film, its all the more remarkable how much you fall under the loving spell.
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Post by stephen on Jul 31, 2017 18:34:11 GMT
He's my runner-up last year. I do agree that i's a performance very reminiscent of what Heath Ledger did in Brokeback Mountain: a pressure-cooker portrait of repression and bottled-up anger. Ruth's my win, but she wouldn't work half as well without Edgerton.
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Jul 31, 2017 18:50:21 GMT
It's on my list of things to watch (HBO queue) and being that I already love Edgerton (give him wins for Animal Kingdom and Warrior), I'm hoping for the best.
Love that you said it wasn't overly emotionally manipulative, because those get boring right quick.
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Post by stephen on Jul 31, 2017 18:52:13 GMT
It's on my list of things to watch (HBO queue) and being that I already love Edgerton (give him wins for Animal Kingdom and Warrior), I'm hoping for the best. Love that you said it wasn't overly emotionally manipulative, because those get boring right quick. I think you're gonna love it. It feels so much like a slice-of-life; it isn't mawkish, it doesn't try and play to the cheap seats or have people running for the Kleenex every six seconds. It's like you're watching these people's lives for two hours, and you can feel the love and the frustration that these two souls feel every day because they convey it so effortlessly. Negga and Edgerton are astonishing in how they manage to subvert the easy road at every turn. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 19:14:05 GMT
MVP of the film. Way better than Negga. People claim she's the heart of Loving, I don't agree. Edgerton's performance makes the film. Understated, subtle heartbreak with an outstandingly human warmth. One of the very best performances of last year.
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Post by getclutch on Jul 31, 2017 21:13:58 GMT
This guy has some real acting chops and is a promising actor. He played a man torn by injustice and yet never giving up on the women he loves.
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Post by PromNightCarrie on Jul 31, 2017 23:19:35 GMT
MVP of the film. Way better than Negga. People claim she's the heart of Loving, I don't agree. Edgerton's performance makes the film. Understated, subtle heartbreak with an outstandingly human warmth. One of the very best performances of last year. I also believe he's the heart of the film. That's what I came away with. |
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Post by PromNightCarrie on Jul 31, 2017 23:27:37 GMT
It's on my list of things to watch (HBO queue) and being that I already love Edgerton (give him wins for Animal Kingdom and Warrior), I'm hoping for the best. Love that you said it wasn't overly emotionally manipulative, because those get boring right quick. I think you're gonna love it. It feels so much like a slice-of-life; it isn't mawkish, it doesn't try and play to the cheap seats or have people running for the Kleenex every six seconds. It's like you're watching these people's lives for two hours, and you can feel the love and the frustration that these two souls feel every day because they convey it so effortlessly. Negga and Edgerton are astonishing in how they manage to subvert the easy road at every turn. Very well-said. It was so refreshing to see a film based on a true story like this avoid those typical, cloying pittfalls. The tone of it was a good match for the kind of people the Lovings really were. They were by all accounts very quiet, unassuming people and the same could be said of this film. I would see it if I were you, Fish - especially if you love Edgerton. I never saw those films you mentioned, but I can tell you that this one has made me a fan. |
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Post by alexanderblanchett on Aug 1, 2017 13:07:29 GMT
Such a great and tender performance. Very calm and not showy at all but thats why he got the character right. Also it is a very unusual performance for Edgerton. Really great work. Totally deserved an OScar nom for this.
One of the best 5 leading actor performances of last year.
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