Fruitvale Station
Fruitvale Station
(2013)
A Review by Grant Kanigan
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Written by: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz,
Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand
Rating: 14A
Release Date: July 26th, 2013
Release Date: July 26th, 2013
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| Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station © 2013 - The Weinstein Company. All Rights Reserved. |
The story of Oscar Grant is becoming all too commonplace in the United States; Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and 12 year old Tamir Rice have all been killed by security guards or police officers. Nearly all of the shooters were white. It could be coincidence, but statistics like the following show us that the judicial system in the United States is racially biased. The documentary The House I Live In states, "even though White and Black people use drugs at approximately equal rates, Black people are 10.1 times more likely to be sent to prison for drug offenses. Today, Black Americans represent 56% of those incarcerated for drug crimes, even though they comprise only 13% of the U.S. Population." In the wake of the events in Ferguson, Missouri last night, the reaction to such events became explosive; however, writer/director Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station is in some ways the opposite. Coogler's minimalist approach to a tragedy ultimately make his film's shocking ending all the more explosive, the minimalist approach making for an ending with maximum impact. Instead of getting lost in the explosions of anger following the story, Coogler follows the story itself, and it's all the more tragic. Fruitvale Station has no answers, only questions, and it's that rare cinematic vision that's not just entertainment. Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station is about something.
Fruitvale Station follows a day in the life of Oscar Grant. Having just lost his job for being late, Grant wallows around home, trying to find ways to keep the embarrassing information to himself. As an ex-con, (he was a former marijuana dealer), it's extremely hard for him to find work. Still, as a loving father and husband, he decides drop off his daughter at her cousin's house for some kid-friendly partying while he and his wife go out to downtown San Francisco to celebrate New Years Eve. After boarding the BART train, he gets in an argument with a neo-nazi he tussled with while in prison. Grant is then kicked off the train and soon finds himself arguing with police officers. Grant and his group of friends haven't technically done anything wrong, and begin to argue with the officers over this fact. Seeing Grant as annoying, an officer turns Grant over on to his back while another officer pulls out his gun and shoots Grant in the back, fatally wounding him.
While it may seem like I'm spoiling the film, that's hard to argue when the film is based on a true story. As well, Coogler's film really isn't about the shooting itself, it's about Grant. The most touching scenes are between Grant and his daughter, of him comforting her, and promising to spend time with her on New Years day. We see Grant struggle with his past, and vie to live a legally sound life so he can be there for his daughter and his wife. By no means is Grant a saint, but Coogler shows him as a decent man, trying to make up for his mistakes. It's not just that Grant's shooting took his life away, but that it took him away from those that loved him and needed him.
While the story itself is enough to make a decent film that's in touch with the zeitgeist, the talents of Jordan rise the film to near classic status. Michael B. Jordan, (Chronicle, That Awkward Moment, Red Tails), as Oscar Grant does some career defining work here. Never overplaying or understating anything, Jordan is pitch perfect as a man lost in his own circumstance, and trapped by injustice. The entire film relies on Jordan's performance, and he carries it on his back. Octavia Spencer, too, is fantastic in her few scenes as Grant's mother, and does her best work since The Help, (a film which I hated, but featured some fantastic performances from the entire cast). Finally, Kevin Durand as one of the offending officers is fantastic. Having just a short amount of screen time, Durand displays enough shock and terror to showcase his talents and the abnormal actions that led to Grant's demise.
However, these triumphs of the silver screen are overshadowed occasionally by a few of the films faults; the minimalist approach doesn't always work, and we're left wondering why we're watching Grant do banal activities. Additionally, Melonie Diaz, as Grant's wife, ranges from terrible to exuberant in her performance. Such a dualism in talent is distracting, and shows the inexperience of first time director Ryan Coogler. Still, these are miniscule criticisms in an important film with some groundbreaking performances; considering this is a first time effort on a small budget, this is fantastic work. All in all, with Michael B. Jordan in the lead and a true story speaking for itself, that's all this film really needs to make it's point. And what was the outcome of such a true story? The officer who murdered Oscar Grant served one year in prison.
Fruitvale Station follows a day in the life of Oscar Grant. Having just lost his job for being late, Grant wallows around home, trying to find ways to keep the embarrassing information to himself. As an ex-con, (he was a former marijuana dealer), it's extremely hard for him to find work. Still, as a loving father and husband, he decides drop off his daughter at her cousin's house for some kid-friendly partying while he and his wife go out to downtown San Francisco to celebrate New Years Eve. After boarding the BART train, he gets in an argument with a neo-nazi he tussled with while in prison. Grant is then kicked off the train and soon finds himself arguing with police officers. Grant and his group of friends haven't technically done anything wrong, and begin to argue with the officers over this fact. Seeing Grant as annoying, an officer turns Grant over on to his back while another officer pulls out his gun and shoots Grant in the back, fatally wounding him.
While it may seem like I'm spoiling the film, that's hard to argue when the film is based on a true story. As well, Coogler's film really isn't about the shooting itself, it's about Grant. The most touching scenes are between Grant and his daughter, of him comforting her, and promising to spend time with her on New Years day. We see Grant struggle with his past, and vie to live a legally sound life so he can be there for his daughter and his wife. By no means is Grant a saint, but Coogler shows him as a decent man, trying to make up for his mistakes. It's not just that Grant's shooting took his life away, but that it took him away from those that loved him and needed him.
While the story itself is enough to make a decent film that's in touch with the zeitgeist, the talents of Jordan rise the film to near classic status. Michael B. Jordan, (Chronicle, That Awkward Moment, Red Tails), as Oscar Grant does some career defining work here. Never overplaying or understating anything, Jordan is pitch perfect as a man lost in his own circumstance, and trapped by injustice. The entire film relies on Jordan's performance, and he carries it on his back. Octavia Spencer, too, is fantastic in her few scenes as Grant's mother, and does her best work since The Help, (a film which I hated, but featured some fantastic performances from the entire cast). Finally, Kevin Durand as one of the offending officers is fantastic. Having just a short amount of screen time, Durand displays enough shock and terror to showcase his talents and the abnormal actions that led to Grant's demise.
However, these triumphs of the silver screen are overshadowed occasionally by a few of the films faults; the minimalist approach doesn't always work, and we're left wondering why we're watching Grant do banal activities. Additionally, Melonie Diaz, as Grant's wife, ranges from terrible to exuberant in her performance. Such a dualism in talent is distracting, and shows the inexperience of first time director Ryan Coogler. Still, these are miniscule criticisms in an important film with some groundbreaking performances; considering this is a first time effort on a small budget, this is fantastic work. All in all, with Michael B. Jordan in the lead and a true story speaking for itself, that's all this film really needs to make it's point. And what was the outcome of such a true story? The officer who murdered Oscar Grant served one year in prison.
Grant's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Ariana Neal & Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station: "I'm Scared"
The House I Live In Official Trailer
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