Sunday Matinée at Market Chess Cinemas

I caught the Denzel Washington vehicle, Fences (2016), in a theatre recently. Without question, the film is sure to make a splash during the coming awards season. 

Washington directs this character study set in 1950s Pittsburgh amid changing race relations in America. Written by the late-August Wilson, Fences is based on his Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name. And you can be sure every moment of the film will feel like a powerful stage performance on Broadway, as the set designer had a fairly straightforward task for this film. 

Films which are adapted from the stage tend to be either massive failures, unwatchable even, or instead succeed in capturing the poignance of the stage--There is typically not much of a middle ground there. 

In the case of Fences, the explosive performances of both Washington and Viola Davis are sure to be recognized in both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards in the coming weeks.  

Washington is in a career phase now where, if he wanted to, he simply could push big money blockbusters nonstop and likely milk his respected brand for all it is worth. But here, he sends a message that quality is still a top priority for him in his work as he ages gracefully.