Fences

Fences is Denzel Washington's passion project and the love he has for the story is clearly evident on the screen. It's Denzel's fourth time behind the camera and he's gotten better every time he's sat in the director's chair and Fences is his best by far. I think that may be due to his overwhelming familiarity with the source material since Denzel played Troy Maxson on Broadway. Originally a play by the genius that is August Wilson, I will be forever grateful to Denzel for putting this in a format I can keep and watch whenever I like once it becomes available because Fences may just be the best film of the year.

As stated earlier, Denzel played the titular role on stage and he wears Troy Maxson as if the character were a comfortable pair of shoes that have been broken in just right. He stomps through the chief set in the film, his house as if he were a giant. Everything about Troy seems larger than life and everything around him appears small and insignificant and that includes his wife, sons, and friends. Troy is a bitter ex-ballplayer who feels he never caught a fair shake because of the color of his skin. His wife Rose Maxson, played by the phenomenally talented Viola Davis, does her best to cut through Troy's anger with compassion and humor but it's not enough to keep Troy from trying to drink his pain away.

Fences is a beautifully shot film by Charlotte Bruus Christensen and with the talented cast assembled she had a lot to work with. Outside of Denzel and Viola the cast also included Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Saniyya Sydney, and Mykelti Williamson who does his best to steal every scene he's in. Most will see this film and not get it, I understand that but the clarity this movie offers regarding what Black men deal with in this country is astounding. Fences a film I feel every Black man should see because it just may start the inward and outward healing process we so desperately need and deserve.  That being said I give Fences four and a half buckets of Killer Korn and I'll see you at the theater.