In an impressive body of work accumulated over the past 10 years, Jeff Nichols has emerged as a skilled filmmaker who relishes in the poetry of Southern life. It was only a matter of time of time before he explored its history. With "Loving," the director moves from the combination of otherworldly lyricism and genre storytelling in "Take Shelter," "Mud" and "Midnight Special" toward more conventional drama — namely, the backstory of Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 Civil Rights case that overturned laws against interracial marriage. — by exploring the intimate details behind its legacy.
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Recounting the plight of Mildred and Richard Loving (Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton), who were persecuted by the state of Virginia for their marriage, "Loving" offers no fancy tricks, but benefits from Nichols' gentle approach, which leaves room for the two performances to shine.
Unlike the 2011 documentary "The Loving Story" and the 1996 TV movie "Mr. & Mrs. Loving," Nichols focuses almost exclusively on the couple's bond against menacing odds. The film begins in medias res, with Richard and Mildred already a happy couple anticipating their first child and considering plans to build a house in their rural town, despite resentment from their respective families. Already, Nichols has veered off the traditional path, setting aside the details of their courtship and simply taking their attraction for granted; viewers can fill in the details. Richard's valiant decision to get married in nearby D.C. punctures the idyllic scenario, as the act prompts local authorities to lock both of them up. With a lawyer in tow, they're offered a pair of mutually unsatisfying options: Stay in jail, or leave the state for 25 years.