Rent Loving (2016)

The Crime of Being Married - Loving review by AW

***MAY BE SPOILERS***

I saw this film once before when it came out, I think I enjoyed it but couldn't remember much except it was a true story, felt the urge to revisit it altho' now I'm ambivalent about it. Sometimes the directors commentary helps or doesn't. This time after listening I felt deflated and that the film lacked both punch and verve.

Firstly it's strange to think there really was a Racial Integrity Act and that up to the 60s interracial marriages were illegal in certain US states but again one has to remember that the state known as the Commonwealth of Virginia is technically in The South and that Caroline County is only just an hour south of DC, midway between Washington and Richmond.

Secondly, for a true story it does hold fairly well to the truth, even to the similar looks of the characters.

The title works twofold - to their surname and situation. Curious too that of the the main couple neither is American - Joel Edgerton (playing Richard) is Australian and Ruth Negga (playing Mildred) is Ethiopian-Irish!

One of the producers (* interestingly Colin Firth also got on the bandwagon) said something in commentary about development of the characters, but somehow in this rather plodding script that aspect, to my mind, seemed to have been missed out. I didn't really get any sense of the characters' real feelings or motivations; couldn't decide if they were particularly surpressed; there was no reaction to the slurs or reverse discrimination. The dialogue is lean and after a while I felt that Richard's taciturn and monosyllabic manner might be suggesting he was a few sandwiches short of

a picnic. Mildred seemed (as one or two other reviewers suggested) awfully doe eyed (or perhaps a deer in the headlights?) but she might have been a bit brighter than her husband as later she seemed to blossom a bit, becoming more aware and speaking up, even though she's seemingly settled placidly into motherhood and housework without much complaint. As she clearly wasn't working I was glad Richard was providing well for his family in their enforced and hated exile in DC. In their hearts they were simple country folk, uncomfortable with the publicity and just wanted to be left alone to get on with their lives, largely unaware of the momentous changes the 60s civil rights movement and their own situation were about to make.

Time passes vaguely in this film too, 10 years go by and he's only just been able to start putting down the cinder blocks for the house he planned for her and the baby right at the beginning. Rather poignantly he didn't get many years living in it. Won't spoil it for others. It's explained at the end.

True story which should be told but surely he wasn't this DULL - Loving review by DH

Perhaps the real Richard Loving was really dreary in true life, if so then this movie did a good job of representing him. If he had an ounce of spark then this film did him a huge dis-service. A landmark position in history, just a shame that it didn't involve more dynamic people. Movie is totally boring which you feel it shouldn't be given the subject. Such a shame.

very good drama - Loving review by H|

There are two reasons for not giving this film a rave review. Surely the couple must have known that it was illegal to live in Virginia as a married mixed race couple ? Did they really think that no-one would betray them ? We also think that the movie was a little overlong, perhaps fifteen minutes or so ? Apart from that it was an excellent movie - intelligent, well acted and well worth seeing.

a bit drawn out - Loving review by MC

Some very good acting and interesting from a historical point in that I for one wasn't aware of the different inter racial laws between states.

I found the whole story rather drawn out to the point it became a bit boring - as someone else said it could have been shorter but worth seeing all the same.

a moving reminder that we have come a little way - but still a way to go - Loving review by AW

Based on a historical fact, this film is a little hard to get "into" because the dialogue is hard to hear/understand. But persevere - the dialogue isn't really all that important, but the story packs a powerful emotional and intellectual (in terms of the history of race relations in the USA) punch.

Extremely well cast and acted. We loved it.