Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station opens with a literal bang. We watch grainy cell phone footage of several young, black men being detained by police officers at a transit station. After a minor struggle, an officer removes his gun and fires it inexplicably. The film sharply cuts to black, and we’re thankful we have a moment to catch our breath.

From there, we meet Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old living in Hayward, California. A title card tells us that it is the last day of 2008, and a brief exchange between Oscar (Michael B. Jordan) and his girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz) makes it clear that Oscar plans to go into the New Year a changed man. He’s going to stop selling weed, he’s going to stop sleeping around, and he’s going to be a better, more stable father for his and Sophia’s daughter. And, essentially, it is the notion of Oscar’s resolutions that fulfill the entirely of Fruitvale Station.

Throughout the day, we watch Oscar attempt to better himself. But this isn’t done with didactic acceptance. Instead, writer/director Ryan Coogler paints a portrait of a flawed young black kid trying to regain control of his life. Although Oscar vows to stop selling dope, he still smokes it occasionally. Although he tells his loved ones that he works at a grocery store, we watch as he desperately, heatedly begs for his job back. Although Oscar seems to be tight with his mother, Wanda (Octavia Spencer), flashbacks indicate that their relationship has always been tense.
Point is, Coogler never dares to turn Oscar into a saint. He paints a balanced picture throughout. A balance that becomes essential to the worth of the movie. Many will argue that Fruitvale Station presents Oscar as a man who can do no wrong. I strongly disagree. This is a guy who’s well aware of his flaws, despite whatever changes he’s attempting to make.

Late in the day, Oscar leaves his mother’s birthday party to hit the town with his friends. They go watch fireworks, sip alcohol casually, and catch a late Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train back home. In the film’s most horrifying shot, we watch as Oscar, Sophina and their friends board a crowded BART train. The train begins to leave, but the camera stays put, only panning left to watch as the train disappears into a tunnel. We watch, and we dread where this is going.

At just 85 minutes long, Coogler has crafted as confident and briskly paced a debut feature as I can recall. Not one second of Fruitvale Station is extraneous, and, at the same time, there is no need for it to be longer. Oscar and his friends board the train at roughly the one-hour mark of the film, yet everything that happens before and after is laced with nervous tension.
As Oscar, Michael B. Jordan delivers one of the finest, most self-assured performances of this or any year. Jordan is best known for playing the frustratingly naive Wallace on Season 1 of The Wire, and a troubled quarterback in later seasons of Friday Night Lights. I was a fan of his work in those two shows, but in Fruitvale Station, Jordan achieves sheer greatness. He understands the balance set by Coogler, and knows to never push or retreat too far. I didn’t always agree with Oscar or the decisions he made, but I consistently felt obligated to follow him.

Octavia Spencer has been around for decades, popping up in several films and television shows throughout her impressive career. In 2011, she won an Oscar for her supporting turn in The Help, a film whose praise I will never understand. No matter. As I watched her performance as Wanda, it was as if I was watching Spencer for the first time. Wanda is a strong willed woman played by an equally fierce actress. She crushed me with her eyes, and floored me with her acceptance. To say it is the finest performance of Spencer’s career would be a drastic understatement. 
In addition to Jordan and Spencer’s performances, Melonie Diaz’s frustrated turn as Sophina is wildly compelling, while the film’s tight photography and seamless editing help give a distinct feeling of claustrophobia. We’re stuck inside this world, unable to flee, forced to take notice.

Fruitvale Station is that rare kind of film that can change things. It exists right now, in limited theatrical release, begging to be discovered. Once discovered, it can open people’s eyes; it can alter perceptions and evoke understanding. But perhaps this is wishful thinking on my part. Perhaps a small, topical, American independent film can’t do as much as I hope it can. Perhaps its existence isn’t enough. Perhaps it’s the responsibility of viewers like me – viewers who were dumbfounded by its impact – to champion the film. Fruitvale Station is that rare kind of film that forces people to reexamine their thinking for the better. If that’s not a cause worth championing, then I’m not entirely sure what is. A 

34 comments:

  1. Beautifully written review. My theater just got this, and I'm hoping I'll be able to see it soon.

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    1. Thanks so much. I highly recommend this one. But beware, it may knock the wind out of you.

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  2. Great review. Nice to see that you awarded the film with a solid A. I love how honest and gripping it is.

    Michael B. Jordan is fantastic. I've been a fan of his since his Wire days. (Wallace's death was so heartbreaking).

    I don't know much about Oscar season but I really hope this film is a contender.

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    1. Thanks! I thought Jordan did an amazing job as well. In all honesty, this film might be a little too risky for the Academy to fully embrace, which is a shame. Jordan and Spencer should definitely be recognized.

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  3. I don't know I think I found it a little more manipulative than you did but it was a pretty effective film.
    -Dan

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    1. That seems to be the key argument for detractors of the film. When I hear that word "manipulative" brought up as it relates to film, I have to ask: doesn't film exist as an art form intended to manipulate our emotions? Sure, many (many, many...) films use manipulative tactics that are blatantly cheap (like evoking 9/11 a la Remember Me), but I don't think being manipulative is the problem. I think the issue is how the manipulation is attempted.

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    2. I agree totally that it's how the manipulation is attempted. But the thing that bothered me about this film was Coogler choosing to open with the real life footage (and then sprinkling in bits of foreshadowing here and there) . That gave it this undercurrent of inevitability throughout that I personally felt was false. It sort of works to make it feel as if Oscar has no way out since all along we know what's coming, and I think he did have - or, maybe I should say, he could have found - a way out. That really bothered me and left me feeling emotionally short-changed at the end.

      But.....I don't want to tear down the whole movie, most of which I did quite like. And I agree that it doesn't portray Oscar as a saint which is really refreshing. And I'm happy to hear you loved it as much as you did, Alex. Films that connect are the best.

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    3. I do agree that manipulation is a criticism that is used too often it's just that there were some scenes that were a little too much for me such as the dead dog and the extended scenes with the daughter.

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    4. @Nick: You know, back when Zero Dark Thirty came out, I was tempted to write an essay that posed a question: how do people feel when movies use real crime footage to make their point? I didn't mind hearing real 911 calls in the beginning of ZD30, and I didn't mind seeing the phone footage in the beginning of this film, but it's a very, very thin line. Definitely worth discussing. Actually, I had no idea who Oscar Grant was before I saw this film, so I had no idea what that phone footage was. I thought it was footage a character took that we'd see later. I didn't know Oscar Grant was a real person until the closing credits.

      @Dan: I do wonder if that dog thing happened to him in real life.

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    5. I actually referenced ZDT in my own review because I personally felt that was an instance where I thought the real life footage - as tough as it was - was a brilliant way to illustrate how everything that was to follow in the film happened as a result of THIS, you know? That one really worked for me. But you're right, it is a very, very thin line and because it's so thin it's open to different interpretations by different people. Like I kind of wonder how I might have felt if I didn't know what that phone footage was.

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    6. Just read it, great stuff man. You know, me never having heard of Oscar Grant (or seeing that video) is entirely my fault. In journalism school, I had to read and report on 12 different news sources everyday. So after four years of that, I really don't seek out current news anymore. Wore me out. And, sadly, I feel like Grant's story is just one of many stories of its kind. Goddamn shame.

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  4. I'm glad that film chose to portray Oscar as a flawed man. There's sides of him that makes him unlikeable but not to a whole. It's obvious he wants to change and do right but never gets that opportunity. The moment for me that stuck with me throughout the entirety of the film is the ending. It's just so simple and so understated. Those little words just hit you very hard and then after the film ends... it's just silence from the small audience that I saw it with and no one as they were walking out of the theater spoke including myself. That has to be a serious Oscar contender.

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    1. I'm so happy to hear that your viewing experience was so similar to mine. No one moved when the film was over, and as we did, minutes later, no one said a word. It's like we had all been punched in the gut.

      Definitely a serious Oscar contender. One of the best films I'll see this year.

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  5. Excellent review man. It's a brilliant little film that literally left me speechless. I'll be rooting for it this awards season.

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    1. Thanks buddy. I was speechless after as well. It took me longer than usual to find the words to write this one. So intense. Bring on some Oscar noms.

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  6. i had a really hard time figure out that that wasn't nick cannon

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  7. Dang ... now you had to go and review yet another movie that I HAVE to add to my list. :-) We don't get many non-mainstream movies here in the Podunk, Virginia area, but I'll catch it when it comes to Netflix. Beautiful post, Alex!

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    1. Thanks Steph! This is a very, very powerful movie that I think everyone (of age) should see. I'd love to talk with you about it after you've seen it.

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  8. Great review. I'm really looking forward to seeing this. Hopefully, I'll have the chance soon.

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    1. Thanks man, I really hope you get a chance to see it soon as well.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. Am going to check out Dell on Movies soon.

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    2. Sure thing. Thank YOU for the comment.

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  9. Great review here, Alex!

    " We’re stuck inside this world, unable to flee, forced to take notice."

    You're absolutely right with that statement. That's what made this film so tremendous...everything about it felt authentic, like you were physically there; especially the final scene. The final scene shook me to the core.

    It's a film I keep advocating everyone to see. It's filmmaking at it's best, because it serves a greater purpose. I quoted Coogler in my review when he said that he saw the riots and protests, and he realized it wasn't accomplishing anything. So by creating the script and this movie, he hoped to make a difference. And, did he ever!

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    1. Thanks! I completely agree with you - this is filmmaking with a greater purpose. I loved that Coogler quote in your review. Sometimes we don't need raging bulls, but rather, thoughtful minds to establish change.

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  10. Wooo! Great review Alex. I definitely think it will open up people's minds and reexamine their thinking. If it can do that for 10% of the people that watch the film, then it's already a big win.

    Early call but this will get Oscar nominated. *It better!*

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    1. Thanks man! It better get nominated, indeed. And I agree, if this can alter just some people's ways of thinking, then that is something to be proud of.

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  11. What a beautiful review (one of your best). I'm very excited to see this, it still doesn't have a UK release date yet. Grr!

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    1. Wow, thanks Jack. That means a lot! Hope this makes it your way soon. What a stunner.

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  12. Yeah, this has been sitting in my review "to do" pile for some time now, mostly due to the fact that I'm not certain how to approach the subject matter. See I have a rather personal connection with Police Brutality, it affected a very close friend of mine years ago. And I'm not sure how I'm going to write about it, if at all. It is as heart retching a movie in a long while for due to the circumstances. I do want to address it, but I'm taking my time to come up with the right words to do justice. This movie has been on my mind and stuck with me ever since I saw it because of that personal connection, so I feel that it has to be done.

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    1. I know exactly how you feel, about not being able to find the words to coherently form a review for this film. Took me much longer than it usually does. A tough, tough film.

      But as someone who enjoys your writing, all I can say is that I would love to read your personal take on this film. I understand it's a difficult thing to discuss, but I think you could write it appropriately.

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