Selma (8/10): DuVernay delivers a gripping and powerful biopic.

“Our lives are not fully lived if we're not willing to die for those we love, for what we believe.”

Martin Luther King is a very popular figure, so the biggest risk for a biopic like this is simply retelling a familiar story, which is what most directors do turning films like this into history lessons. You are sort of expecting this inspiring and uplifting film that will have its emotional moments once King stands up and delivers his world famous “I Have a Dream” speech, but Ava DuVernay takes an entirely different approach. Instead of following a timeline and going through important dates in King’s life she simply introduces us to an important and defining moment in his life. And by doing this DuVernay allows us to center on the person that King was, learning about his struggles, fears, and so on. King is portrayed in a different and more humane light and isn’t simply a figure we idolize. It is something similar to what Spielberg did with Lincoln, but much more engaging this time. DuVernay is able to avoid falling into biopic genre conventions and centers the narrative on King’s efforts to organize a march in Selma in order to secure equal voting rights for all. In the large context it might just have been a short period in his life, but by focusing on this specific and detailed event we are able to learn who King was and how he was able to face each obstacle. It also reminds us that organizing a march isn’t as simple as one can imagine. In a general biopic about Martin Luther King this would simply take about five minutes, but here we get the specifics which at the same time allows us to learn the importance of what King was fighting for while we also get to finally see him portrayed with some depth. DuVernay was robbed by the Academy from a Best Director nod because she crafted a powerful film avoiding familiar clichés and melodrama.

Selma gets about everything right: the script by Paul Webb is solid and there are some fantastic dialogues and speeches throughout the film, the cinematography by Bradford Young is sharp, and the production design transports us to the 60’s in a very authentic way. But the film wouldn’t have worked without the right actor to play Martin Luther King. David Oyelowo delivers one of my favorite performances of the year as King. His transformation is impressive. Not for a second did I think that this was an actor playing the famous figure. Oyelowo is like a chameleon, able to transform from one movie to the next. This is a completely different person from the actor who played Yardley in The Paperboy. He portrayed King in a very different light from what we are used to seeing him. We’ve all seen and heard King deliver his speeches and Oyelowo personifies him in the same way with similar tones and pauses. But it is in the smaller moments where Oyelowo’s subtle performance stands out as he shines a more humane light on King, reflecting some of his fears and doubts as he second guesses himself at times. There are quiet moments where he doesn’t know what to say or how to react to situations. There is a scene where he has to comfort a family who has lost their son, and he seems to be lost for words. He also shares some great scenes with Carmen Ejogo who plays his wife, and Tom Wilkinson as President Johnson. The supporting performances are also strong as several popular and historical figures pop into the movie. Tim Roth delivers one of my favorite supporting performances as Gov. George Wallace, but many more stand out as well. Selma is a gripping film beautifully directed by DuVernay with a wonderful and memorable performance from Oyelowo.

My Review: Arbitrage (8/10)

¨How much money do we need? Do you want to be the richest guy in the cemetery? ¨

Richard Gere has had a very respectable career as an actor, but in my opinion I think he has finally delivered his best performance in Arbitrage. This thriller would have been just an average movie if it wasn’t for Gere´s portrayal of a fund magnate in a lot of trouble who somehow manages to keep his cool. There is something about Gere´s performance in this film that stands out. As much as I tend to dislike these business millionaires and despite all the immoral decisions his character makes there was something about his performance that made me want him to get away with the crimes he´s committed. I found myself routing for the bad guy, and it was only plausible thanks to Gere´s performance. This is perhaps one of my top three performances of the year and I think Richard Gere should finally get some recognition for his work here. Young director, Nicholas Jarecki, has burst into Hollywood with this first feature film which has received a lot of praise from critics. I was really trapped by this thriller thanks in most part to Richard Gere because otherwise I really wouldn’t care for this character who on paper should´ve been very unlikeable. Jarecki also wrote the screenplay for this film and produced it so he is someone to keep an eye on in the future. The rest of the cast is alright, but Gere´s performance is just above par.

 

Richard Gere plays a hedge fund magnate named Robert Miller who is trying to sell his trading empire. When his daughter Brooke (Brit Marling) asks him why he wants to sell the company, he says he wants to retire and spend time with his family, but very soon we find out he has other reasons. His wife Ellen is played by the great Susan Sarandon and she´s always supportive of her husband´s decisions as long as they don’t affect the family. Robert and Ellen seem to have the perfect family, but soon we discover that Robert has a mistress as well. She´s a young French painter named Julie (Laetitia Casta) who Robert has sponsored in order for her to make it big in the artistic world. We soon find out that Robert´s perfect life isn’t so as he has problems closing the sale of his company and is in desperate need of doing so. One night, after having an argument with his mistress Julie, the two decide to go for a ride together and end up in a car accident. Julie dies and Robert afraid of what the media or his family might say flees from the scene and calls a contact of his to pick him up. Things begin to get worse for Robert as police detective Michael Bryer (Tim Roth) begins investigating the case and asking him questions. Despite how bad things are turning up for Robert, he seems to keep a cool and control of everything. He begins to feel the pressure but he does a good job at hiding it and continuing to move on.

Arbitrage is a very formulaic thriller, something goes bad for the main character and the tension seems to escalate as we move forward, but in the end it stands out from other thrillers because of Richard Gere´s performance. He manages to keep the viewer interested in his outcome despite doing very unlikeable things. It would be hard to relate to a character like this, but Gere makes it look so easy. In the end that is what I enjoyed the most about this film despite the fact that Susan Sarandon and Tim Roth are both very much underused here. They are great actors, but get very little screen time. As the tension escalates, so does the suspense so in my opinion Jarecki does succeed in creating this atmosphere and setting the mood of the film. Arbitrage could be a forgettable film by the end of the year, but something tells me that Gere´s performance will be remembered. He deserves some recognition for his work here and it would be great if he receives a nomination from the Academy. Arbitrage isn’t a perfect movie, but if you like thrillers or are a fan of Richard Gere then you have to see it.

    

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