Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Loving Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 10, 2017

Writer/director Jeff Nichols is enjoying an amazing creative streak, crafting thought-provoking, atmospheric features that highlight outstanding performances and intimate emotions, exploring soft-spoken types experiencing tremendous psychological turmoil. There’s been “Mud” and “Take Shelter,” and Nichols even sampled sci-fi with last spring’s “Midnight Special,” a fascinating movie that few people saw, as major studios tend not to know what to do with sophisticated, unusual deviations from the norm. “Loving” is perhaps his most human picture, inspecting real-world turmoil born from a legal fight for civil rights, but the helmer’s tempo and attention to detail remain, treating the corners of this tale as importantly as everything else. “Loving” has its missteps, but it’s a typically strong effort from an increasingly reliable filmmaker.

In the late 1950s, white Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton) carried on a relationship with Mildred (Ruth Negga), a black woman. While their families were supportive to a certain extent, staying out of their business, the lawmakers in Virginia were against the union, forcing the couple to travel to Washington, D.C. to get married. Returning home, Richard and Mildred are promptly jailed and prosecuted for their marital crime, threatened with 25 years apart if they try to remain together. Moving to Washington to carry on with their lives and manage the raising of multiple children, Richard keeps up his daily routine, but Mildred longs for country life and the comfort of her family, inspiring a return to Virginia, exposing them to legal repercussions that threaten to destroy everything they’ve created together, including a home built by Richard that symbolizes their life of respect and love.

Nichols isn’t one to force a moment, taking his time with “Loving,” which spends most of its first half exploring the relationship between Richard and Mildred, and how their interracial union is processed by the outside world. The screenplay is careful to note every thought flowing through Richard and Mildred, but it plays this constant churning of fears and frustrations as silently as possible, presenting Edgerton and Negga with an acting challenge that finds them mastering most scenes with knowing looks and defensive body language, as the couple spends a significant portion of the feature expecting the worst to happen. The stillness of “Loving” is powerful and communicative, with Nichols constructing a vivid understanding of racial hostility during this volatile time without going overboard with stereotypes, finding only a local sheriff coming close to screen exaggeration, especially when played by Marton Csokas, a problematic casting choice that feeds into exhausted Glaring White Men formula.

This saga has been told before, in the 2011 documentary “The Loving Story,” inspiring Nichols to head in a different direction to detail Richard and Mildred’s struggle, which eventually takes them to the Supreme Court courtesy of the ACLU and lawyer Bernie (Nick Kroll), who doesn’t have any experience with this type of racially charged case. While the inside of a courtroom is seen, “Loving” stays as far away from testimony and gavel banging as it can, preferring to inspect the human side of the battle, with Mildred especially worn thin by all the upheaval. She’s the product of a good home with a tight family, but her devotion to Richard keeps her on the move, longing for stability in the Virginia fields she loves. Richard is also put in a tight spot, fighting to build a foundation for his relationship while skin color constantly gets in the way. Tension is found at home, with hard looks greeting the arrival of speeding automobiles (always a sign that tragedy is coming), and guilt is the anchor that keeps Richard in place, often unable to protect his wife when she needs him.

Loving Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Loving" is a rare modern production actually shot on 35mm film, but the AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation doesn't celebrate the artistic choice as thrillingly as it could. The viewing experience looks darkened and flattened, and while artifacting is minimal, it doesn't always appear to secure cinematographic purity. Delineation struggles intermittently, inching toward solidification as dense hairstyles and limited lighting challenge frame information. Colors are acceptable, providing period hues and strong greenery, but interior lighting encourages an overwhelming yellowish tint that's perhaps intentional, but makes everything look sickly. The overall image looks much better when blasted with light, allowing for more vibrant rural hues and period costuming. Detail is also much better in the sun, picking up on aging nuances and set decoration, while farmland distances are dimensional.

Loving Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is tasked with creating a gentle sway of dramatic urgency and tender moments of love. It's successful, leading with defined dialogue exchanges that pick up on accent attempts and changes in personality, often matching bold, loud lawyers with hushed, mumbled Loving speak. Group activity is also precise. Scoring cues are supportive, maintaining position and mood throughout, and soundtrack selections are fresh and inviting, with ideal instrumentation. Surrounds are engaged but not tasked with much more than basic depth, delivering enveloping separation with city visits as distant vehicles move around the listener, and farmland expanse is explored. Interior echo with courtroom and office visits are preserved, and sound effects are comfortably balanced.

Loving Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Jeff Nichols.

• "Making 'Loving'" (4:28, HD) is a short summary of production intent, with cast and crew gathered (including co-producer Colin Firth) to discuss the thematic goal of the production, inspired by the documentary about the Lovings and their legal battles. Shooting in Virginia is highlighted, along with urgency to tell this particular story of racial hostility in this volatile day and age.

• "A 'Loving' Ensemble" (4:07, HD) turns attention to the actors, with Nichols and select production participants discussing how the main roles were filled. Negga was found during the audition process, while Edgerton caught Nichols's eye during their time making "Midnight Special." It's a celebratory piece, spotlighting performances, but interesting character considerations and inspirations are shared.

• "'Loving' vs. Virginia" (4:26, HD) explores the true story that inspired the feature, dissecting the Racial Integrity Act, which was the law that attempted to legally divide the Lovings. Cast and crew share their opinions on the real-life Lovings, and there's a glimpse of "Loving Day 2016" in New York City, where interracial couples gathered to share their thoughts on partnership.

• "Virginia: A 'Loving' Backdrop" (3:09, HD) opens with thoughts from Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, establishing this featurette as something of a commercial for local production offerings, trying to entice companies to make movies there. Cast and crew express their appreciation for Bowling Green location support, and Nichols details his thoughts after visiting Richard and Mildred's country home.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Loving Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Loving" isn't completely humorless. Michael Shannon (a frequent Nichols collaborator) has a gentle cameo as a Time Magazine photographer sent to observe the Lovings, understanding the importance of their union, adding defined energy to the movie. It's a nice break from all the introspection, but tender moments still guide "Loving," which handles itself best when celebrating Richard and Mildred's attachment as it's attacked from all sides. Maybe this isn't Nichols's strongest picture, but he does a laudable job steering the effort away from extended cliché, keeping attention on the twosome and their special connection, which began between two people and eventually changed America.