Best Actor in a Leading Role 2016: Denzel Washington in Fences

Denzel Washington received his seventh Oscar nomination for his performance as Troy Maxson in Fences.

Denzel Washington is not an actor I am particularly fond of. I obviously don't think he is a bad actor as he clearly possesses a great deal of talent, but I feel he often wastes his abilities by just going way too far with many of his performances. He is not afraid of going big, and too often he comes across as a bit hammy, at least to me. When I first watched Fences, I was curious about his performance because of the critics' enthusiasm towards it but also my impression, based on the movie's trailer, that it was going to be another disappointment for me. But, much to my surprise, in the span of a few minutes he completely managed to won me over and I was completely stunned and captivated by his performance. The first scenes of the movie are actually the ones I like the least, mainly because it's where the stagey nature of the screenplay shines the most: the dialogue is extremely thick and it can occasionally become a little overbearing, but Washington manages to pull it off completely and makes the viewer invested in the character of Troy right from the very beginning. To say that this performance is not subtle would be an understatement, but his loud approach is, in this case, completely justified as Troy himself is a person who likes to show off and be at the center of the attention: Washington does a brilliant job at portraying his character's big ego but at the same time he never makes you doubt that all the people around him would enjoy listening to his stories - he just owns the screen, making his character incredibly captivating, charismatic and entertaining and bringing a great deal of passion, grit and humor to the man's telling of various tales, whether they are true or not. Washington does not uses this scenes only to establish Troy as a man who likes to talk and to be listened: he uses this moments to add a great deal of depth to the character and uncover new layers about him. For example, I really like the moments in which Troy talks about his past, talking about how he never managed to become a great baseball player due to the discrimination of the separate leagues back in his days: in these moments, Washington is extremely effective at conveying his bitterness and anger behind his voice - here, Washington is terrific as he shows the embittered soul behind the showboating, larger-than-life persona that Troy created for himself. He is also amazing in a later scene in which he opens up about his rough childood: it's a particularly great moment because, for once, Troy doesn't seem to be talking just for the sake of putting on a show - Washington manages to be rather moving in his portrayal of Troy's reflection over his past and in this moment he manages to give us a little more of an understanding for Troy's often despicable actions. 

One of Fences' strongest assests is its ensemble: not only because each member is very good, but because all of them work with each other with such a perfect armony. This applies also to Denzel Washington, who works brilliantly with all of his co-stars. I love his scenes with Stephen Henderson (who plays Troy's best friend, Bono): together they share a deep and poignant chemistry, making the friendship between the two characters feel sincere and meaningful. Bono is probably the only character who is not mistreated in some way by Troy, and Washington does a very strong job at showing Troy's sincere affection towards his friend. He also works impeccably with the two actors portraying Troy's sons, especially Jovan Adepo as his younger son Cory, who too wishes to become a baseball star: Washington is amazing in his interactions with Adepo as he gives such a realistic depiction of his character's cruelty towards his son - he never becomes one-note in his portrayal of his mistreatment and never oversimplifies his behavior, but instead is incredibly frightening and disconcerting by delivering such an uncomprising portrayal of an unloving father. His "What law says I've got to like you?" speech to his son is a truly chilling moment due to Washington's brutal and ferocious delivery - there is real venom in his eyes and voice, and Washington does a truly terrific job at showing Troy's pathetic jealousy and insecurity as he does not want to have his son succeed where he failed. Washington is also terrific in his scenes with Mykelti Williamson, who portrays Gabriel, Troy's brother who is handicapped due to a war injury: Washington is a bit more subtle in his scenes with him and he thrives at showing his sincere love for his brother but also his guilt for using the money that the state gave Gabriel for the injury for buying his own. 

But Washington is at his best in his scenes with Viola Davis (whom I'm seriously considering bumping up to a five since she is dynamite in this), who plays Rose, Troy's loyal wife: the two actors are terrific in their scenes together as they convey so well the history between the two characters, and Washington on his own is great at showing his genuine love for his wife but also bringing the needed selfishness to Troy, who often gives Rose too much for granted and ignores her plea to listen to Cory's needs. One of the best moments of his performance is the scene in which Troy reveals to Rose that he has been carrying an affair with another woman and that she is pregnant: although I feel this scene belongs to Davis, who is absolutely heartbreaking, Washington is amazing as well at portraying his character's attempts to justify his behavior and I particularly like the moment in which Troy admits he won't stop seeing his mistress - he is so good in that moment because in his eyes he shows his awareness of being disrespectful towards Rose but also his unwillingness to change the situation. And all of his later scenes with her are absolute brilliance on both ends: when Rose confronts Troy about him getting Gabriel transferred to a psychiatric facility, Washington is phenomenal at showing Troy's guilt for his actions just with his own eyes; and then he is groundbreaking in the scene in which he finds out his mistress died in childbirth - he does an excellent job at portraying Troy's fury and rage upon this discovery, and his challenge to the Grim Reaper (whom he claimed to have fought against once) is one of the most powerful moments of his performance. His last few scenes in the movie are terrific as Washington does such a fantastic job at portraying Troy as a man who doesn't have the strength to pretend anymore: he is not charismatic or showman-like as he used to be - he's just a pathetic, lonely man that is simply nothing without his delusions of grandeur. 

This is a truly terrific performance from Denzel Washington who delivers a truly compelling depiction of the great character that Troy Maxson is. He's truly a force to be reckoned with, but behind his loud theatrics, which are entirely justified, he manages to find the complexity of Troy, delivering a very human and realistic portrayal of a deeply flawed person. It's an amazing, powerful turn and, out of what I've seen, it's by far his best work. 

5/5