"Fences" Showcases Fantastic Acting; "Assassins Creed" was All Glitz and No Guts

   As the year comes to a close, movie theaters become chalked full of great films to experience as a new year of possibilities gets ushered in. This is awards season, and films vying for the gold are spewing into the cinemas at an alarming rate. That's not to say there haven't been award-worthy films earlier in the year. It just seems like there's always a push towards the year's end. One of these films of which I speak is the Denzel Washington-directed Fences. Based on the screenplay and original play written by August Wilson, Fences tells the story of an African-American father named Troy (played by Washington) who struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life. It is a harrowing, heavy tale that is unlike any film to have come out this year. The movie itself plays out like a stage production, relying on the rhythm and poetry of August Wilson's words mingled with the astounding performances from the cast in order to drive the narrative. Beside the fact that there was a bucket of popcorn in my lap and a drink in my armrest, I would've thought I was watching a stage production, but it translated nicely on screen.

   The acting is where this movie shines. The pairing of Denzel Washington with Viola Davis (who plays Rose, Troy's wife) is nothing short of brilliant. Two of the best working actors in the business today share the screen with some of the most emotionally-driven and dense storytelling. Both have had extremely successful careers and it was a joy to watch them perform. They had their work cut out for them. Wilson's play is heavy with dialogue, and I lost track of how many monologues Denzel had about halfway through. But dang it if he didn't nail each and every one. The supporting cast did an equally fantastic job, but these two fine actors give you your money's worth. Some people might be turned off by the stage play feel of the film, but I think that aspect speaks to the strength of the movie as a whole. Adaptations, no matter what the source material may be, are never easy. I applaud Washington and his crew for keeping as close to the original play as possible while making it applicable to the screen. The story felt real, the characters were believable, and the overall narrative was extremely well-thought out. This movie is so dialogue-driven and performance-driven that I would imagine getting to work on this project would've been any actor's dream.

   The film deals with a lot of heavy, emotional themes such as marital affairs, family dynamics, racial tension, drinking, and self-worth. The drama in this movie is relentless, which will keep you invested given the lengthy and wordy nature of the whole thing. Fences isn't going to be every one's cup of tea, but as a piece of cinematic art, it showcases some of the best acting you'll see anywhere. It's funny, my wife fell asleep watching Rogue One (I know, right?!) but stayed awake the entire time through this movie, which is a testament to its storytelling. The movie barely moves locations, and there are only a handful of characters, but from start to finish you will be moved by the flowing narrative, lyrical dialogue, and spot-on performances. Check this one out for sure.


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 I'll be brief. Assassin's Creed is the latest video game adaptation to hit theaters, and one I hoped would be awesome. In the end, it was one of the most disjointed, random movies of the year with one of the coolest concepts and a handful of really awesome scenes. Michael Fassbender is the one shining aspect in this swing-and-a-miss adaptation. I have yet to see him be bad in anything he does. He plays convict Callum Lynch who escapes death via a secret organization in order to be forced into exploring the memories of his assassin ancestor Aguilar in order to find a secret relic that supposedly can eradicate violence. Through his time in the memory machine, he gains the skills of a Master Assassin and discovers his connection to Aguilar and the secret Assassins society. The moments where the film spends time in the past is really cool and really fun to watch. However, they barely go to the past. Most of the movie is spent in the present with A LOT of exposition in order to keep you up to speed. The action was good, the overall acting across the board was meh, and the story just rushed from plot point to plot point, resulting in one of the most convoluted and random endings ever. In the end, given the past poor rate of video game adaptations, this probable stands as one of the better ones, at least that's what I hear from friends who have played. Video games are insanely cinematic already, so who knows if we'll ever get a great one. As for Assassin's Creed, it was...okay.