Selma is like Lee Daniels’ The Butler, only good. About Martin Luther King, Jr. and his efforts to obtain voting protection for Black Americans, the drama features terrific direction, great acting and some powerful moments--which are only offset by occasional overly preachy dialogue and a few slow stretches.

Ava DuVernay directs the film, which stars David Oyelowo in a head-turning performance. Oyelowo, who actually was in the forgettable The Butler, is commanding, embodying MLK and his persona in an impressive way.

The movie itself is solid, with DuVernay presenting a style that superbly balances the look of the era with modern vibrancy and color. When DuVernay drifts away from this dynamic approach, and she does at times, Selma unfortunately suffers, temporarily transforming into something much more ordinary.

The screenplay is the same--powerful and engrossing at times, standard in others. When Martin Luther King, Jr. is out in public, when he’s preaching to crowds, the screenplay gives Oyelowo and the rest of the cast all they need to work with to fire on all cylinders. When the movie retreats to MLK’s personal life, or his exchanges with friends and colleagues, Selma is much more hit or miss. The characters tend to preach and speak at one another rather than talk to one another in a realistic way; first-time screenwriter Paul Webb avoids this early on, but it’s an understandable shortcoming that becomes more apparent as the movie progresses.

Some of the weaker written scenes caused my attention to drift, and some of the characters--most notably, the villainous George Wallace (Tim Roth)--are crafted with such sneering one-dimensional it leaves aspects of the film feeling shallow.

Still, the flaws are not destructive. Far from it. When Selma is rolling, it really rolls: the bridge riot scene is hard to watch and will evoke an emotional response, and many of the speeches Oyelowo gives make you feel like you’re watching and listening to the real Martin Luther King, Jr.

That alone is victory.

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.