There are several actors who have taken a step towards directing at a given moment and so did Denzel Washington. In 2002 he made Antwone Fisher, in 2007 The Great Debaters and last year Fences. A film based on a Pulitzer and Emmy winning play by August Wilson, where the main parts in the film are played by Denzel Washington and Viola Davis who also played these on stage.
Troy Maxson (Washington) works as a garbage collector in America in the 1950s. He lives with his wife Rose (Davis) and his son Cory (Jovan Adepo). It is a man with a past in which he has not had it easy, someone who is still struggling with what he has achieved in his life and the opportunities he has missed. A man who possesses a lot of charm but can also be extremely strict when it comes to his children.
It is clear that the film is based on a play since the largest part takes place in one location, the home of the family. The script takes its time to show Troy as someone for whom you have sympathy and as the movie progresses you learn more and more about him and understand how he has slowly become the man he is now. Just like Washington, Davis is excellent as well and she received an Oscar for her role. It makes Fences a small, but well-developed family drama that convincingly brings a different era to life where the struggles are ones you can relate to.
