Selma is not only my favorite film of 2014, I also happen to think it’s hands down the best.  There are a number of reasons why it’s so great, but one is David Oyelowo’s spectacular performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  It’s not simply a hagiographic portrayal of a hero figure; it’s a complex portrait of a man who did great things, but who was also human.  He felt fear, he felt frustration, he felt regret, and Oyelowo imbues his portrayal with these traits that elevate the performance from mere emulation to embodiment.  A new Selma featurette has been released in which Oyelowo, director Ava DuVernay, and others talk about his performance, and the clips used are a fantastic tease of his excellent work—and that of cinematographer Bradford Young.

Watch the new Selma featurette after the jump, and click here to check out Perri’s interviews with DuVernay and the rest of the cast.  Selma expands nationwide this Friday, January 9th, and I urge you to take the time to see it.  You won’t regret it.

Via Paramount.

Here’s the official synopsis for Selma:

SELMA is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition.  The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.  Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.

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