Minutes
Well
Spent
Why “Selma” will be a precious (film) gem for years to
come...
Written by Joelle Jackson
1. Remember (and learn
to pronounce) the name
David Oyelowo (Oh-YELLOh-whoa) because this
man was brilliant as Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Selma” takes place in 1965,
after the Civil Rights Act
legally desegregated the
South. The film chronicles
King’s fight for voter equality specifically and human
equality in general. Oyelowo portrays King with a
gentle finesse, balancing
King the leader and preacher with King the man. The
cast is equally robust with
talent, with Carmen Ejogo
as Coretta Scott King, Tom
Wilkinson as President
Lyndon B. Johnson, and
Tim Roth as Gov. George
Wallace just to name a few
(not to mention a blinkand-you’ll-miss-it turn from
singer Ledisi as Mahalia
Jackson. But on to other
aspects...
21
It’s Christ Or Nothing
2. Ava DuVernay (director) does a fantastic job
of weaving the details
of the turbulence of
King’s life during that
time, including how the
FBI tracked him and all
of his associates. Paul
Webb (screenwriter) has
provided the cast with
insightful source material.
The theme song “Glory”
performed by Common
and John Legend more
than sets the tone for the
film, while the photography conveys the triumph
and tragedy of this monumental time in history. I
only had one choice but
to give it an...
Verdict: A. Great way to
begin a new year of film.
Go experience “Selma.”