Fruitvale Station
July. 26,2013 ROakland, California. Young Afro-American Oscar Grant crosses paths with family members, friends, enemies and strangers before facing his fate on the platform at Fruitvale Station, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
Sorry, this movie sucks
I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
As Good As It Gets
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Phwoarrr that hit me and then some! What an unexpected treat this was. An extremely rare impactful drama that feels utterly necessary in addressing the ongoing issue of firearm usage in America. Depicting the true story of 22 year old Oscar whom is caught in a situation involving the police at Fruitvale Station during New Year's Day. The inevitable conclusion is not what makes this drama so tantalisingly electric, it's the portrayal of Oscar's family and himself that allows us to become invested on an emotional level. Conveying a family man who is determined to be the best father, son and boyfriend that he could possibly be. Garnering respect amongst the community, he becomes an established proud individual who assists his friends and himself, thus making him relatable. A runtime of just 82 minutes, the focus and patience that is put into portraying Oscar was paramount, particularly given the melancholic conclusion. Ryan Coogler is consistently pushing the camera up close and personal to the actors, enhancing the intimacy between us and the characters. A tangible link where he is able to make us feel every emotion. I can't quite express how difficult that is to illustrate in a film. The fact this is his directorial debut stuns me even more, a talent that Hollywood will be watching for quite some time. Michael B Jordan was outstanding, this is his best role by far. Nuanced yet powerful, expressive yet emotionless, he was an enigmatic revelation. Spencer and Diaz also gave excellent supporting roles, particularly towards the end. I just wished it was longer, to flesh out Oscar's character even further. But, there isn't a more thematically relevant drama than this right now. As soon as the credits rolled, a cluster-bomb of emotions rushed to my heart and soul. I was livid, sad, shaken and full of remorse. Such a tragedy that could've easily been a melodramatic bore, but instead is a formidable powerhouse drama that showcases exceptional talent on and off screen.
This movie brought out tears on my cheeks , if you're looking for a real drama based on true event , you probably should watch this gem , now aside from how devised the movie is , i'm going to describe the feelings you get when the story goes on while you watching it , the movie makes you sympathize with Oscar 'Michael bb king' because of his accumulated problems and how he is willing to take responsibilities of his actions ,he did what most of people do especially the younger , which is playing music in attempt to benumb our brain from focusing and to try to escape from reality , it's also shows us how good- hearted and extrovert he was. he used to give a hand to any person who needs help , and this make you break and repeal the stereotypical notion about black people and that not all of them are gangsters as ignorants think , and displays the tormenting destiny lots of black people suffer, you notice that his mother cared about and gave him huge attention and she tried so hard to offset the troubles off his way but eventually he got shot at the place she asked him to go through , the lesson learned is whatever we do to keep us safe can't change a nano of a thing of our future because it's already written for us ''That's my opinion" , I believe the main movie point is showing us how black people are exposed to the police aggression more than any another race , the movie's earnings was fulfilling , Thanks to Significant Productions for the movie and my thank goes also to anyone who contributed to the production of this film .
It's hard to believe eight years after the death of Oscar Grant III at the hands of police on New Year's Day 2009 that things have only gotten worse. At the time of its release in 2013, "Fruitvale Station" colored the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, for which there was no conviction. Then came unrest in Ferguson, Missouri over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown and an ever-growing list of names: Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Alton Sterling – "Fruitvale Station" will be a relevant film for a long time.Like Grant, writer and director Ryan Coogler is a black man from Oakland. In fact, they were the same age when Grant was shot and killed while lying face down at the Fruitvale BART station. That's enough information to understand why Coogler made this film, but it's the way he tells Grant's story, among all the available options, that stands out and contributes something meaningful to the conversation of Grant's death – and life.Coogler's film is a dramatic retelling of the day leading up to the incident and its immediate aftermath. Most notably, about 60 of the film's 85 minutes take place before anything bad happens. Coogler does not want to focus on the minutiae of the events that took place at Fruitvale Station, nor the ensuing trial that trivialized every detail. He wants to focus on Grant's humanity and life, and how in a quick moment, it was snatched from him.Just in case any viewer comes in completely unaware, the film begins with actual cell phone footage of the incident. This looms heavy throughout the film, forcing us to constantly reckon with the knowledge that the man we see (played by Michael B. Jordan) will die. This puts a microscope on Coogler's screenplay, not only factually speaking, but why he shows us what he shows us.In that first hour, we meet Grant's girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz) and 4-year-old daughter, Tatiana, as well as other members of his family gathered to celebrate his mother's (Octavia Spencer) birthday. We watch him talk about the future with Sophina, play with Tatiana, try to get his grocery store job back, help a few strangers, and rendezvous with a drug dealer.Some of the scenes and interactions are a bit overly opportune given Grant's fate, but by and large we get a portrait of a complicated young man. Coogler makes a concerted effort to show us Grant's redeeming qualities and emphasizes accounts from loved ones suggesting he was trying to turn his life around, but at the same time he doesn't exclusively cast him in a favorable light. We get a flashback to his jail time, Sophina confronts him about a past affair, he's clearly still involved with drugs and he has a temper that sometimes leads him to be pushy and confrontational. All this to say, no matter which way the scales tip, when he ends up on the Fruitvale platform, "deserving" has nothing to do with it.The platform sequence, after all that buildup, is a riveting piece of filmmaking. Coogler edits together two perspectives, that of Grant and his friends' and that of the witnesses, in a few frantic, pulse-pounding minutes. Regardless of how Grant and his friends are portrayed and how the BART cops are portrayed, the escalation of events feels unbelievable and unfounded. It should never have happened, and yet so many must suffer the consequences."Fruitvale" profoundly crystallizes some of the reasons these tensions escalate and reminds us of the human, emotional impact these incidents have, regardless of the "character" of those involved and any race-related factors. Although no storyteller can be completely objective in interpreting events and facts around a sensitive case, Coogler's film doesn't make any arguments or attack racial injustice, but it does give all of us a reminder and a reason to make sure no one else has to die under similar circumstances.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more
IMDb description of this title,"The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008"If you are going to watch this movie after reading this description, believing that this movie is gonna be like some drama, suspense or thriller like that...please don't watch it.The movie is much about characters personal life rather than actual incident & this is what makes me disappoint. Direction was good, at many places it touches to reality. But apart from that i don't know what director was trying to focus..is it character or is it incident ??