Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Selma

This is topic Selma in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 02-08-2015, 04:12 PM:

Can't believe it hasn't been started yet.
Feb 8, 2015. Carmike Chantilly 13, Montgomery, Al.
House 3
Movable side mask, no curtains. Flickering bulb. Only person in the house for the 12:00 matinee. Lots of bleed through of explosions from whatever was next door.
Full Disclosure, living in Montgomery, AL we are saturated with civil rights movies and stuff, especially this year. So, more than a little of I've seen all this before in my take on this film.
Not bad. Feels more like a Very Important made for TV film, but at least one with an engaging story. As a few people have pointed out, this is a war movie with different weapons and tactics (and the bleed through from next door added to the effect). Nice that it doesn't feel obligated to "tell both sides of the story" or present a white POV. No great white hope like so many non-doc civil rights films. About the standard number of historical inaccuracies as any "Based on a True Story" pic, so LBJ gets the shaft. And George Wallace comes off less evil than he was.

Best Picture material? Not for me, but I don't represent the viewing public.

One fun thing for locals is that part of the town of Selma is exactly how Selma looks now. Not much has changed, other than some signs. And the Hotel was restored years ago, so probably looks better than it did in 1965.

This is the most shallow focused movie I think I've ever seen. I thought it was the curved screen, or the streaky porthole glass. But the end credits were uniformly soft focused. Also very flat and washed out looking. Anybody else have that experience?

Oh well, we'll give it B thumbs up stars.

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 02-08-2015, 10:59 PM:

maybe it was intent of Ava DuVernay and DP Bradford Young but I thought the image through out the entire movie looked washed out and any and all dark scenes had this opaque gauzy look - this was intentional, right?

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 02-08-2015, 11:17 PM:

Sure hope so, but can't understand why. It's like the shallow focus, doesn't add anything to the story and almost looks like a "vasilene lens."