con ic ▁port ray al ▁of ▁Richard , ▁a ▁man ▁whose ▁passion ▁for ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁family ▁ran ▁deep ▁and ▁quiet ." ▁Mich elle ▁Dean ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁Republic ▁spoke ▁most ▁highly ▁of ▁the ▁performances , ▁writing , ▁" Ed g erton ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁get ▁more ▁attention , ▁though ▁it ▁is ▁Neg ga ' s ▁incred ible ▁performance ▁that ▁makes ▁the ▁film ▁so ▁power fully ▁subt le ." ▁Joe ▁M orgen st ern ▁of ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁wrote , ▁" L oving ▁hon ors ▁its ▁subject , ▁its ▁audience ▁and ▁the ▁movie ▁medium ." ▁Peter ▁Tra vers ▁of ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁three ▁and ▁a ▁half - star ▁rating , ▁and ▁said : ▁" The ▁st abb ing ▁simplicity ▁of ▁Neg ga ' s ▁acting ▁is ▁bre at ht aking . ▁Jeff ▁Nich ols ▁has ▁given ▁us ▁a ▁quietly ▁dev ast ating ▁film ▁that ▁reson ates ▁for ▁the ▁here ▁and ▁now ▁and ▁march es ▁to ▁the ▁cad ences ▁of ▁history ▁and ▁the ▁heart ." ▁In ▁her ▁review ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁Man oh la ▁D arg is ▁wrote , ▁"[ N ich ols '] ▁most ▁distinct ▁a est h etic ▁choice ▁is ▁the ▁movie ' s ▁quiet ness ▁and ▁the ▁h ush ▁that ▁en velop s ▁its ▁first ▁scene ▁and ▁that ▁eventually ▁defines ▁the ▁Lov ings ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁their ▁acc ents , ▁gest ures , ▁man ners ▁and ▁batt les . ▁ ▁Acc ol ades ▁ ▁L oving ▁has ▁received ▁numerous ▁awards ▁and ▁nomin ations