LOVING (Jeff Nichols). 123 minutes. Opens Friday (November 11). See listing. Rating: NNNN
When it premiered at Cannes, several critics noted that there’s no triumphant climax in Loving no “Whoop! There It Is” moment to rouse an audience and spit on the grave of an oppressively racist system that deemed Richard and Mildred Loving’s interracial marriage illegal.
Jeff Nichols’s lived-in docudrama is far more honest, sensitive and quietly powerful than that. It takes cues from Grey Villet’s iconic Life Magazine photo of the couple curled up on the couch, enjoying a laugh in front of the television, blissfully unaware of the difference in their skin colour, the politics that swirl around them and the fact that anyone’s paying attention to them. For this couple, attention was often troublesome.
Chronicling the Lovings’ decade-long struggle with Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws, from their initial arrest to the moment they altered the U.S. Constitution, the film keeps courtroom scenes brief to make way for an affectionate look at Richard and Mildred’s domestic life and the nuances of their relationship.
Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga have just the right groove together, delivering soulful, understated performances. They capture the Lovings’ resilient bond, their grace among family and friends, their awkwardness when racist forces meddle in their lives, and the weariness on their faces.
The Lovings’ legal fight and subsequent victory are triumphant for sure, but the film digests it on their intimate terms: the Supreme Court decision happening way over there means a little more peace of mind, acceptance that they have the right to simply be.
Don’t miss In Loving Colour: even in diverse Toronto, the pressure’s on five interracial couples.
