Loving (12A, 123 mins, ★★★) is the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the Virginia couple whose legal case in the late 1950s – which challenged the criminalisation of their mixed-race marriage – proved a landmark in the fight for civil rights. Writer-director Jeff Nichols is on home turf here as his previous films, including Take Shelter and Midnight Special, have been located in America’s South and Midwest and placed everyday people in extraordinary circumstances.
His flair for cinematic aesthetics comes very much to the fore, whether it’s the beautiful long shots of the glistening countryside or the crisp close-ups of Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, who give restrained and subtle performances in the leading roles. In unfolding the story, which involves arrests, clandestine meetings and growing media interest in the case, Nichols also does well to avoid grandstanding or hectoring the audience.
