I see we’ve arrived at the “important film” section of the calendar. Stow the cynicism and look in the crawl space for social awareness.
“Honey, remember? We tossed ‘social awareness’ two years ago.”
“Oh, did we? Well, have we got any ‘seasonal consciousness?’ “
“Some. Most of it smells like moth balls.”
“Super. Bring that up.”
So you’ll excuse me for not stowing all of my cynicism despite the heavy-handedness of topic. I will try.
Loving is about an interracial marriage. Period. Interracial marriage was illegal according to Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws in 1958 wherein lies the conflict. This is the kind of film which should be irrelevant today, but is not, which is a sad and painful reflection on the country we live in and the election we just held.
In what appears to be the most racially tolerant rural village of the Jim Crow South, white man Richard Loving, yes “Loving,” (Joel Edgerton) impregnated black woman Mildred (Ruth Negga – that’s your surname, really? Ugh. You’re practically race-baiting from the credits alone). Unable to wed locally, the two skip off to DC for the day to make it legal. There’s a subtle dig here at exactly how both practical and impractical this action is. This is the key move for reaction. Virginia law seems unspecific about white folks and black folks sharing a bed, but couldn’t be clearer on the notion that the two groups can never inter-marry. For two very soft-spoken people, this is a monumental act of civil disobedience and is immediately rewarded with jail time. And then the two are given the Sophie’s Choice of 25 years in prison or leave and never come back. What would you take?
Soft-spoken is the constant tone of this film. Joel Edgerton quietly mumbles his sparse dialogue while Ruth Negga spends the majority of her camera time smiling as if contemplating some other existence. The actions of both are deliberately subdued as if their direction ordered, “don’t let your personality detract from the message.” Indeed, the message is important, and, indeed, the Lovings –for the most part- passively let the movie happen to them. Even when they’re taking risks, there’s an innocent feel to the couple not unlike a small boy who has broken a window and pictures himself invisible in plain sight. It’s like the movie should be shooting whatever’s going on next door but has landed in their living room for a reason unknown to the players.
The Lovings don’t have so much as a disagreement in the first hundred minutes of film. Think about that. They were jailed twice, kicked out of state to a place where they knew nobody and raised three children completely apart from family and friends and we don’t even have so much as a raised voice?! I’m not even talking about potential disagreements stemming from demographic or personal backgrounds – heck, I’m willing to concede these two are the most compatible couple in the history of Earth – but if you look at pure circumstance, you’re gonna find people short of temper from time-to-time. It is simply impossible to imagine 
this couple never faces emotional adversity. Excuse me while I make grumpy face.
The culmination of the “action” is the supreme court case Loving v. Virginia. I find that battle confusing in its own right – Virginia opposes loving?! This contradicts the exact premise of Virginia itself, no?
Loving is a film that is far more important than it is good. It’s a shame that film like this even need be made. If this is a same race couple, you have no movie. And in a better society than the one we’ve got, this film truly is irrelevant. I can’t exactly say I wish the film were better; when you make a film highlighting social justice, the bar is very low and Loving tripped over it successfully. The ceiling here, however, is also very low. The Lovings are a fairly dull couple with a foregone conclusion. Let’s leave them alone.
♪Love, it’s meant for the few
Best match up, or we’ll jail you two
And love, turned in for reward
Ship it out, back to Timbuktu
The Love Court
Soon will be hearing another case
The Love Court
Making decisions so way off base
Set a date for indictment
Your mind on annulment, yeah
And love, don’t need any more
Take your open mind
To the state next door
It’s court! Welcome, you’re going to lose♫
Rated PG-13, 123 Minutes
D: Jeff Nichols
W: Jeff Nichols
Genre: Social justice
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Interracial couples
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: The Klan
♪ Parody inspired by “The Love Boat” Theme
