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| Scene from Fences |
The process of adapting live theater to film is often seen as a challenge. For the first movie based on beloved playwright August Wilson's work, Denzel Washington tackles Wilson's most revered work that even earned Washington and co-star Viola Davis Tony Awards for its 2010 revival. There's a love to the language and the performance that shines through from the first second of the film as Troy (Washington) comes home from his job as a garbageman. He is cocky, optimistic, but also sour at the wrong turn of phrase. It is a story of the changing tides in African American culture in the 1950's as well as the disappointments and fears of fathers passing the baton on to another generation. As an adaptation, it's as riveting and engrossing as acting is likely to get in 2016. As a movie, it leaves plenty to be desired.
