Fences (2016)

Robert De Niro shows up looking like he’s aged like Bode Miller.
He might have been at the top of his game once, but now he’s just embarrassing himself by settling for these cheap comedy roles that are completely beneath him, isn't he?

Jeremy Harris21 said:Personally, I think Tom Hanks edges out Denzel Washington. He doesn't resort to those ridiculous facial expressions or forced acting styles you see from him—not that he’s bad, but his mannerisms are honestly laughable. As for Robert De Niro, he’s easily one of the worst actors working today. He’s basically making a mockery of himself at this point, dropping down to the level of Adam Sandler or Ben Stiller.

Look, they're talented actors, sure, but they are incredibly overrated. If Denzel Washington ends up with three Oscars, I'm going to be annoyed; it's just too much. He isn't even in the same league as someone like Jack or Denzel. And De Niro? It's an absolute embarrassment lately. It's a tragedy because he might have been the best in the world once upon a time—that run he had transitioning from the 70s into the 80s was legendary.🙏

It’s a decent enough flick... in the head-to-head matchup of Black cinema, I actually preferred it over Moonlight 🙂

Viola Davis is a serious Oscar contender, I suppose 🤷

goldenhound32 said:@Simpsons
Sorry you didn't care for it. I actually enjoyed myself. I suppose I just have a soft spot for stage-to-screen adaptations. Pure, unadulterated drama. That’s my thing.

Here we have a patriarch who always gets the final word. I watched it without subtitles, so it didn't really matter. 🙂

I enjoy those kinds of movies, but this one didn't hit the mark for me. It felt hollow. Boring. Films like August: Osage County or The Judge—those actually resonate. This was just lukewarm.

I haven't seen a movie packed with so much useless, mindless dialogue before. Honestly? It was just boring.

Rachel Young3 said:It’s blatantly obvious this was adapted straight from a stage play. The whole thing is just a series of endless monologues from Denzel Washington about various topics
...
The rest of the cast? They’re basically just props used to provide an audience for his lecturing.

I trimmed some of it down, but that’s my take. He just talks—and talks—and talks. He acts like he’s the smartest guy in the room, but there’s zero substance. His wife just stands there supporting him, defending him, and staying by his side at the end 😵. There are no lessons here, no actual takeaways—just watch me act self-righteous, watch how hard life is, watch how unfair (white) people can be, listen to me, and realize that I—despite being a thief, a killer, and an unfaithful husband—am somehow the moral compass. This entire movie is screaming, "Give me an Oscar."
I didn't turn it off, but man, it was a struggle to sit through until the credits rolled.

Actually, I just realized there *is* a lesson here: it's similar to the parable of the prodigal son. No matter what wrong you commit, there will always be some fool out there willing to forgive you.

Honestly, this would have worked much better as a standalone piece rather than what we have here; it just didn't move me. To my mind,
Viola Davis's performance in Moonlight is three times more impactful, even if the two films aren't directly related. I notice people around here constantly trying to draw comparisons between them just to jump on a bandwagon...

I'm thrilled Viola Davis took it home. She’s an absolute powerhouse, and I've been a fan of her work for years—though I still can't wrap my head around her role in How to Get Away with Murder.

I'm also glad Denzel Washington didn't take the win for Best Actor. To be honest, the movie dragged for me, so in my opinion, they shouldn't have picked up anything else besides Viola.

Jose Newman32 said:Honestly, this would have worked better as a stage play; it just didn't move me. I think Viola Davis is three times better, even if they aren't directly related. I see people comparing them here all the time, which makes me want to jump on the bandwagon.

Well, it is based on a play, after all. 😁

He should have stayed, just for the performance...
🥱

Honestly, that winner's speech at the Oscars? That was nothing compared to the actual show. It was pure theater.
😁

I managed to hang in there for about an hour, give or take...

northerncobra31 said:A fantastic movie.

Personally, I think this might be Denzel Washington's finest work to date—he absolutely crushed it.

Viola Davis is equally incredible.

Period. It’s just a damn good film, particularly that second half.

Better than Moonlight.

The movie was alright. A few downsides: it dragged on a bit too long, and I wasn't really feeling the ending... how it wrapped up just didn't land for me. On the plus side, I've always been a fan of >, and she was great in this one too. 🙂