Virginia passed its first anti-miscegenation law in 1691, partly to prevent what it called “spurious issue,” or what most people just call children. The movie opens in the late 1950s, when Mildred (Ruth Negga, a revelation) and Richard (Joel Edgerton, very fine) are young, in love and unmarried. If their story didn’t open when and where it does, there would be nothing remarkable about Mildred and Richard. He’s more interested in showing Mildred and Richard laughing with their friends than in hanging around courtrooms, watching their defense. It’s perhaps unsurprising that “Loving” elides how the real Mildred Loving saw herself, which apparently changed over the years.

Source: New York Times November 03, 2016 21:53 UTC