Paramount

PG 13. 128 min

I wanted to make sure I'd seen all the best picture nominees before the Oscars coming up in a couple of weeks. I may not have seen the dramatized documentary of Dr. King's March had it not received one of those nominations. I need to start by saying that's not due to any disrespect for the man but because of my fear, which unfortunately came true, about the execution of this film.

I think there may be two schools of thought when it comes to criticizing SELMA. First those deeply believe in the cause and second those who fear being attacked as racists. Both groups might easily lavish more praise upon this film that it deserves.

First of all society in America and across the world has changed drastically in the last hundred years and race relations are certainly one of the most obvious factors.

I think it's important to remember those who have been instrumental in those changes. But I'm not talking politics here. I'm talking about a motion picture that presents itself as an historical document.

Yes the conditions of the time were terrible and we are all glad to have seen changes in society across the nation and the world.

As a film Selma isn't much more than a cartoon. Every black character is thoughtful and well-spoken while every white character a slobbering axe handle wielding hick. I understand the need for a separation of pure good and pure evil in films like STAR WARS but here? I'm not sure.

Even detractors of Lyndon Baines Johnson will probably be shocked by his portrayal here as an ineffectual and dishonest stooge. Not to mention that Tom Wilkinson sounds nothing like him. Still my main problem is with the dialogue. Nearly every line sounds like it was written for a sermon. And that's not even counting the actual sermons which David Ovelowo admittedly performs very well. It just stumbles under the weight of its own perceived self-importance and that prevent it from being a very good film.

The thing that bothered me the most, however, was the rap song during the closing credits containing lyrics praising the riots in Ferguson Missouri. I found that to be an insult to Dr. King's legacy.

C

WSS