Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station, the first feature length film by writer/director Ryan Coogler isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. What it is though is a beautifully woven tapestry of a young mans last day on earth. It is a serious, emotional film with huge heart, and it's one I think everyone should see. Technically Ryan's technique needs work but he does such a magnificent job of taking us on a journey that I give Fruitvale Station three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.






I know I am not the first person to say this, but if Michael B. Jordan get's the right opportunities, gets the right breaks, and gets lucky, he could be HUGE! I'm talking Walk of Fame and have a sandwich or a street named after him HUGE. Seriously, Michael is incredibly talented and imminently believable as Oscar Grant III. He runs through the gamut of every emotion in this movie so naturally it was like he was born to play this role. Fruitvale Station is a tapestry of the last day of Oscar's life and all those he came in contact with, how this flawed man with a lack of impulse control and anger issues is trying to turn his life around. Oscar isn't a saint, but he's no devil either. What he is is a devoted father, boyfriend, and son to the three most important women in his life. He's a good friend to his boys, a fierce fighter, and a compassionate soul. He sounds like someone I would have liked to have known.

Directoy Ryan Coogler starts Fruitvale off with Oscar being shot at Fruitvale Station by the transit police. The footage is taken from cell phones that filmed the entire incident, the quality is poor but you know what's going on, and the suddenness of the shooting is quite shocking. From there, we are transported back to that morning and a tender moment between Oscar and his girlfriend Sophina played by the incredibly talented Melonie Diaz. From that moment you are immediately shown Oscars devotion to Sophina, but you are also shown that Oscar makes mistakes, especially the one where he cheated on Sophina with another girl. Oscar is trying to put that in the past but Sophina is having a hard time letting it go. The very next moment, you are shown just how much of a devoted father Oscar is to his daughter Tatiana, played by the adorable Ariana Neal who can't sleep.

Oscar wants to be a hard working man who wants to take care of his family, but made a few mistakes along the way which has made that almost impossible for him to do. It's New Years Eve and it's his mothers birthday. Oscars mother Wanda is played by the Oscar Award winning actress Octavia Spencer. Oscar, Sophina, and Tatiana go by to celebrate the day with her. It's after everyone finishes off Grandma Bonnie's world famous seafood gumbo is finished, and Oscar and his mother are doing the dishes where she tells him that he should take the train into San Francisco to watch the fireworks. She ultimately convinces him by telling him there will be far less traffic on the train than the streets. It's a decision that comes back to truly haunt her.

Oscar meets up with his friends, late as usual and they head to San Fran on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). The night goes well until they begin to head home, and though you know what's coming, at times it's hard to watch. The interaction between Oscar and his friends and the antagonistic white cops takes you further down the path where the beginning cell phone video ultimately leads you too. The movie ends in such a powerful way that it's almost hard to take, what's hard to stomach though was the information given at the end of the movie.The cop that shot Oscar was sentenced to only two years behind bars and only does eleven months for the murder of Oscar Grant. There is very little music in this movie, but that's because the movie really didn't need any. Not a scene in Fruitvale Station needed any emotional enhancement, but Ludwig Goransson will get credit for the score. The cinematography by Rachel Morrison looked like it was done by someone fresh out of film school. There were some amazing shots here and there, but overall Rachel needs to improve her skills.

This movie comes at a time in our lives where the world is hurting due to a lack of justice for a young man from Florida. His name can be added to the same list as Michael Stewart, Sean Bell, Eleanor Bumpers, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant III and so many others whose names we do not know. Fruitvale Station is a wonderful work of art, and though it may be hard to watch at times, it's absolutely worth going to see. I'll see you at the theater.