Nothing if not ambitious, Selma attempts to nest a small-scale character study into a larger survey of King’s efforts in Alabama and at the White House.

Like any good pastor, Oyelowo saves those cadences for his speech scenes, the last of which is so stirring and powerful it knocks the air out of your lungs.

...it is, despite some notable flaws, a deeply affecting, sometimes horrifying, ultimately inspirational movie.

He gives the role admirable subtlety, confidence and charisma, and when he gets the chance to build up a head of steam at a lectern, the movie lifts with him.

Charismatic, commanding, complicated and utterly credible, [David Oyelowo's] portrayal of Dr King is surely the stuff of which awards are made.

Det er et klogt valg at skære filmen ind til en nøglebegivenhed, for på den måde fremstår den præcis og samtidig nuanceret, mens vi følger den nyslåede Nobel-prisvinders kamp for at blive hørt.

Vi kender måske nok historien om Martin Luther King, men ’Selma’ får os til at mærke den på ny.