Directed by
Ryan Coogler
Going into a movie like Fruitvale
Station, the excellent new release by first time writer-director Ryan
Coogler, there is always a bit of uneasiness. Is it going to be overly
sentimental in chronicling the tragic true story? How is the young director (26
years old during filming) going to handle such subject matter, especially him
being basically the same age as the subject? Is it going to fall into the same
fate as other vastly underwhelming Sundance movies? How is the similar subject
matter to a very current issue going to impact the viewing? Luckily for us, in
this case, the results are all aces. This is one of the most haunting and
important movies of the year.
Fruitvale Station tells the
story of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a 22 year old Bay area man who is
trying to find his place in the world. On New Year’s Eve 2008, Oscar tries to
start anew. The whole day is leading up to his mother’s (Oscar-winner Octavia
Spencer) birthday party later that night, and then a night on the town in San
Francisco with his girlfriend (Melonie Diaz) and friends. During the day, he
has several encounters with people he knows and doesn’t know, each one of which
helps shape Oscar and makes him want to be a better boyfriend and son, as well
as father to his 4 year old daughter. It is on the way to Frisco is where that
fateful New Year’s would hit its boiling point. The intensity rises in the characters
and in the film itself. After that, it does not and cannot let up.
What makes the film click is clearly Michael B. Jordan, who audiences
will most recognize from The Wire
(arguable the best and most relatable part of Season 1), Friday Night Lights, and maybe even Chronicle. This is his crowning achievement, though. He has an
effortless charisma and screen presence. He can make the ordinary seem
captivating, and I could have watched him drive around and meet people for
several more hours than the film allows. He is the real deal and a surefire
Oscar contender. His supporting cast is just that: supporting. Octavia Spencer
turns in a memorable and very awards-friendly performance as Oscar’s mother.
Melonie Diaz is always nice to see, even if she never really gets credit for
her strong acting. Chad Michael Murray and Kevin Durand make their single scene
one of the most wrenching and frustrating scenes I have come across.
The movie has this aura about it that is hard to describe. From the
opening cell phone clip of what would turn out to be the climax of the film
until that part comes up in real time, there is an intensity that is unlike any
other in such a straight indie drama. There are random occurrences that feel
offbeat, and we think something is about to go down, but it just keeps going
along. Something looks very sketchy, but it seemingly means nothing. The film
just keeps suspending the drama, refusing to let the movie fall into the
thriller category because it would take away from the impact. It is this aspect
that actually makes it one of the grittier and more anxious movies around.
The obvious thing going for this movie and against it is the similarity
to the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case. Some parts of the movie feel a bit
eerie because of this, but it never takes away from what the film is trying to
accomplish. The film does not really place blame on any individual person or
group, but it certainly thinks that Oscar was a near saint. He may have been.
He may actually have been trying to right every wrong in his life on that very
day, but I am sure that Coogler took more than a few liberties from the actual
events to intensify that. Even though I was well aware of that while watching,
I still cannot deny how well handled the climactic scenes were. They were
messy, frantic, and difficult to see or understand. We are like one of the many
passers-by who were as shocked, confused, outraged, and horrified as we are watching Coogler’s
version of the story’s gut-punch of a conclusion.
If I were to compare this movie to something, it would have to be a mix
of several movies. There is definitely some The
Wrestler in how Oscar is treated and followed around by Coogler’s careful
camera. That also almost reminds of the films of the Dardenne brothers. There
are parts of it that will definitely bring to mind Gus Van Sant’s Milk. There is a bit of Crash in there, as well as A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. The
movie has a style all of its own, though. I have never really experienced a
movie where so little happens, yet so much happens. The film is a passion
project, and that is shown in the performances and the emotions coming out of
the audience. The trailer for this film makes it seem like a claustrophobic
thriller, but that part is such a small part of the movie. It is about
something so much bigger, more important, and more lingering. It is a special
little movie (under $1 million budget) and one that will likely spark
conversations and intrigue throughout the country. Its place in today’s world
is even further heightened by its timeliness and clear message. It does not
mess around. It knows what it wants to say, and it says it well. You have to respect
that in a movie.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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