LOVING is glacial in pacing, almost apologetically low-key and the thick-as-treacle accents can be just as tricky to translate as in writer-director Jeff Nichols’ other work. The two grounded performances at its heart (career bests from both Joel Edgerton and Ruth Nega) give it real dramatic heft and the power of the real story make it completely captivating. Why is this Civil Rights injustice an obscure chapter in American history? The quest of the Lovings to be recognised as a legitimate married couple in their home state should be as well-known and revered as the Bus Boycott and Brown vs Board of Education. This story clearly really affected Nichols on a personal level, and Loving feels like his most personal film to date. Sometimes all you need is to let a true story breathe and speak for itself unencumbered and talented performers to tell it; no bells and whistles required. SSP