Selma

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has received flack from many this year - their main gripe being the relative exclusion of Selma. Drawing parallels with the underrated Michael Mann biopic 'Ali', this is similarly intense viewing, thanks mainly to its concentration on a certain period of time: when the 'right to vote' protest culminated in an incredible march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. It is, without a doubt, a powerful watch. That said, if you're expecting a deep insight into civil rights hero Martin Luther King, you may be a little disappointed.

Featuring a truly incredible performance from British actor David Oyelowo as King, the film opens with a shocking bombing that killed several young girls. It's an intriguing way to start the film from helmer Ava DuVernay; from that moment on, it leaves the viewer completely on edge - especially if you're not acutely aware of the history surrounding King and the march.

Selma highlights the horrific ordeals that African-American people went through in their fight for equality, and DuVernay rarely allows that sense of intense injustice to falter. Even when she is shooting seemingly straightforward phone conversations, their importance emanates from the screen.

Any criticism of Selma has stemmed from the portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson by a usually superb Tom Wilkinson. He's painted as a man who saw the civil rights movement as an irritant while his priorities were meanwhile focused on the increasingly bleak situation in Vietnam. He's one-note, smarmy and uncompromisingly unlikable. While Selma goes to great odds to clarify that it is not a documentary and in fact, part-fiction, its depiction of Johnson is perhaps unduly harsh - particularly given the fact that his former aides now claim that the march was actually his idea. In fairness to DuVernay, she has made it clear that her film is a piece of art, and therefore adjustments to history have been made in order to facilitate her representation of events.

Other foibles include the inclusion of characters like Malcom X appearing only fleetingly when there's obviously more there to explore - but then again, deviating too much from the central story of the march would probably cause the production to compromise on its intense message.

Regardless of historical inaccuracies, Selma is a compelling throughout. Oyelowo's performance pours pure passion and his mannerisms and tone powerfully embody those of King's - so much so that you'd pay good money to see him play the man again in a full biopic.

A fascinating and disturbing chapter of American history, it's unsurprisingly not always an easy watch - but director DeVernay's focus and passion on bringing an uncomfortably close period to the big screen is to be commended.