jimbo-53-186511 Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke) is a navy officer with a short fuse who finds himself being referred to the navy doctor Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington). At first, Fisher is standoffish and unwilling to open up to Davenport, but Davenport persists with the young officer and eventually Fisher does begin to try to explain some of the reasons for his behaviour. Davenport soon learns that Fisher had a troublesome childhood whilst he was growing up with his foster mother and Davenport believes that it may help Fisher's emotional psyche if he were to try and find his mother and make attempts to reconnect with his family.This is actually a nice story and from a narrative point of view it is very well-constructed and structured; essentially we'll witness something happening to Fisher that lands him in trouble and then we get flashbacks from his childhood which establishes motives for his behaviour in later life. The film uses this approach for much of its running time and it does work very well; you get the best of both worlds in some ways by witnessing some powerful dramatic moments and then we get some exposition explaining away why Fisher behaves in the manner that he does. It is a fairly well-written film which does a good job of developing its protagonist (although having the real life Antwone Fisher penning the screenplay probably helped the film a lot in this respect).According to the trivia section, the likes of Will Smith and Cuba Gooding JR auditioned for the role, but Washington refused and wanted an unknown actor to portray the lead character - this was probably a risk at the time, but one which, in the long run, probably paid off. Maybe it was budget constraints that forced Washington cast an unknown actor (who knows what sort of salary Smith or Gooding Jr wanted at the time) or maybe Washington knew that a film of this nature didn't have to rely on star power to get people to watch it after all everyone loves an uplifting feel-good story don't they? Whatever his reasons it was probably the right choice and Derek Luke really works hard here in crafting a character who is misunderstood, traumatised, deeply troubled, but he's also a character that is strong-willed and brave.From a narrative perspective this film is good and some of Washington's directing is also good, but the trouble with this film is that it does all feel a bit clinical, by-the-numbers and rather safe. It does have the feel of a Lifetime movie and it's clear when watching this film that Washington takes no real risks and whilst it is good in several parts, it is also quite weak in other areas - the film makes a big deal about Fisher meeting his mother and gives a big build-up to this occasion, but when the time comes for Fisher to meet his mother it all falls a bit flat and it doesn't have the emotionally satisfying pay-off that I was hoping for. Fisher's romance with Cheryl is also a weak part of the film which is both undercooked and underwhelming and to me isn't the most important aspect of the story - although it does seem to take up a good chunk of the film.Antwone Fisher is a nice uplifting story that will undoubtedly cheer you up if you're feeling down and I suppose in that respect it does its job. Despite my reservations above, I did like the film and I too found it uplifting and enjoyable, but it just wasn't quite the emotional punch to the gut that I was expecting it to be.

krocheav Antwone Fisher is somewhat of a breakthrough film in several ways ~ Based on a factual story, it features a screenplay consisting of the first writings of the central character (Antwone Fisher) ~ A remarkable first acting performance by a new screen personality (Derek Luke as Antwone) ~ An accomplished directorial debut for performer Denzell Washington.Perhaps the most instantly striking aspects come in the form of the visual structure. The opening shots draw the viewer into a mesmerizing beautiful vista that carries you to a doorway leading into the dream of a child. I marveled at the power of these visuals till I realized the director of photography was none other than the great Philippe Rousselot. The Frenchman responsible for those unforgettable images that made "The Emerald Forest" and "The Bear" so breathtaking. Art Director David Lazan ('The Usual Suspects' '95) and set Decorator Anne Mc Culley ('My Life' '93) reinforce this convincing look with solid background designs. Mychael Danna ('The Life of Pi' '12) creates his trade mark musical design to complete this stylish production.Performances are heartfelt with one brief stand-out 'wordless' scene provided by Viola Davis ('Doubt' '08) as Antwon's Mother. Always a difficult to achieve plus in any movie are convincing performances by the child actors - all do very well in their important roles. An uncredited appearance early in the film by a well kept James Brolan as a Navy ships commander - gets the story rolling on a strong note. If anything, one sequence that needed a better approach may have been the party provided for Antwone by his newly found extended family. Being so hastily organized this event is not given time to be convincingly developed and might have been best set as being held at a latter date - as good as this scene is, it tends to come across as tacked on and perhaps needlessly over sentimentalized. Apart from this minor (but important scene) Antwone Fisher is mostly grade 'A' life affirming entertainment.

anthonymichaelbangert This biopic written by the titular character himself is excellent. Antwone is a young man in the Navy who must see a psychiatrist when his anger gets the best of him and he gets into a fight with a fellow soldier. While at first reluctant, Antwone eventually opens up to the shrink about a troubled past with his adopted family, and growing up trying to survive it. He suffered through a great amount of physical and emotional pain and abuse. He starts to learn to love and trust as he finally lets go of all the pain and dates a young woman also in the Navy. This is an emotional and depressing tale with an uplifting sub context. The writing is well done, with excellent character development, and actors that do a good job bringing it to life for the most part. This is not a cinematic masterpiece, however it is a great film. It's a autobiography written script and a biography movie, which is interesting, and not often seen. My biggest problem with this film seems to be that even though it's a true story, it feels unoriginal. I could predict a lot of the plot points a little too easily, and I wish it could have just been a little tighter in the plot. It is still a well written and good movie, and worth a watch at some point.

Nocgirl72 This is one of my all time favorites. Simple story about a complicated sailor (Derek Luke)prone to emotional outbursts. He starts seeing a naval psychologist (the fabulous Denzel Washington) who helps him sort through his demons, reflect on his past, and find the family he never knew. Raised in an abusive foster home, he is determined to make something of himself, and try to put the daunting past behind him. Along the way he gets a girlfriend who helps him and encourages him to find himself, and search for his roots. One of the coolest endings in a movie. I get teary-eyed every time.AWESOME movie!!!