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Fences (2016)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
10/17
10/17:
Denzel Washington has finally lost it.
The kind of act that the one-time Alonzo Harris is known for may have worked well during the 80's and the 90's, but
it's so outdated today that he needs to rethink about his approach and try something else different in order to stay relevant.
While at it, Denzel might want to lose some weight.
Fences is basically the black version of Death of a Salesman. The version with Dustin Hoffman got everything
right for a play-on-film. Because the N-word is freely thrown around by black characters, I might as well
get in the act by calling Denzel's film Death of a Phony Nigger.
At first, Troy Maxson was shaping to be the father many blacks never had. Hearing him talk, I thought Troy
was making sense although he should've shut up much sooner. Then, there was a sudden change in his personality in terms
of how big, great, mighty, and unapologetic he had been to everybody. Listening to him for what seemed to go on for hours
and hours, I got tired, started looking at the timer, and fell asleep occasionally, wishing the movie would end already.
Worst of them is the obvious theatrical feel. I know it's a play when the conversations, which have no
rhythm and are mostly done for the purpose of summarizing what happened in the past, are so fast-paced that I can hardly
keep up with them. At the same time, there's a lot of emphasis on prettifying the colors of Pittsburgh's bleak atmosphere.
Trying to find a point in this soporific mess has been very challenging for me. It's why plays will never translate well on
screen given the formula. Because of Denzel Washington's star power, Fences made business when it normally wouldn't.
Forget the Oscars; nobody deserved them.
All in all, Fences is a long, boring play that will test the patience of many die-hard Denzel Washington fans.