3-minute preview: Awards season hot tip 'Fences' with Denzel Washington, Viola Davis

THIRD time's the charm, as the saying goes, and in terms of Denzel Washington's directorial career, that just might prove to be the case considering the swell of approval that has met Fences.
Who's in it and what's it about?
Denzel Washington not only directs but also stars in Fences, which is a period drama in as much as that it's set in the 1950s, but in exploring the experience of growing up, working, looking to make a better life as part of a minority, makes itself as relevant now as it was when first performed in 1983.
Washington plays Troy Maxson, a principled family man who was a talented and dedicated baseball player but was prohibited from playing in the Major Leagues due to the color of his skin. Instead he works as a trash collector and is trying to stop his son from pursuing similar sporting dreams.
Emmy award winner Viola Davis of How to Get Away With Murder co-stars as Troy's wife Rose, Jovan Adepo of TV's The Leftovers becomes son Cory, and Stephen Henderson – seen in fellow awards contender Manchester by the Sea as well as 2011 heist comedy Tower Heist – plays Troy's friend and workmate Jim.
Mykelti Williamson (Forrest Gump, Heat, 24) Russell Hornsby (In Treatment) and Saniyya Sidney (AHS: Roanoke, Hidden Figures) are also on board.
Who's behind it?
Denzel Washington returns to the director's chair after 11 years' absence. Both Antwone Fisher (2002) and The Great Debaters (2007) had Washington both directing and starring, and both were critically well received. Neither set the box office on fire but Fences could be set to change that.
The film is based on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and both Washington and Davis come to it with a huge amount of professional credibility, each having received a prestigious Tony Award for their performances in the play's 2010 Broadway revival, and the play itself winning a best-in-class accolade.
Is it any good?
Shown just as Hollywood's annual awards season gets into high gear, Fences has been met with talk that it could propel Denzel Washington's career to the sort of glittering heights that his acting reached.
An 87% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, derived from a 7.4/10 average rating ahead of its limited theatrical release, corresponds to a 70% score on Metacritic.

When's it out?
Fences goes on a (very) limited, two-theatre release in New York and Los Angeles from Dec 16, with a general release beckoning from Dec 25 onwards.
Internationally, audiences can expect to see it arrive in theaters from mid-February 2017 and onwards, which could be beneficial depending on awards season and potential Oscar buzz; announced European dates, for example, include Feb 17 in the UK, Feb 16 in the Netherlands and Feb 22 in France. — AFP Relaxnews
Watch the trailer here: