Jake Broeckel
Director Ryan Coogler faces social issues head on with one of the rawest films of our time. Fruitvale Station is a gritty and real documentation of the last day in the life of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, a black man who would later be fatally shot by transit police in the early morning of January 1st 2009. Grant was killed while laying face down and handcuffed on the subway platform in Bay area, California. His death was seen and filmed by many witnesses that morning whose videos would surface and spark many protests and riots in California. This film set a spark that ignited into a wildfire of conversation about social issues across America when released in 2013, also around the time Trayvon Martin was also shot dead in Florida. Coogler carried on the discussion of racism, police brutality, social injustice through film in a way that should be applauded and honored. Oscar Grants name and story was not forgotten on January, 1st 2009.The first image shown to viewers from the start of the film is a bystander's original fuzzy camera footage from the tragic event. It shows the commotion and chaos between the transit police, pedestrians and of course Oscar Grant and his friends. The director showed a spark of genius in starting the film this way because, it implanted into viewers minds reassurance that the physicality of the police and the tenseness of the situation actually happened. It let us know that the film to follow was nothing more then a genuine recollection of that night and not a phony imitation more suited for Hollywood. This 27-year-old directors choices and organization of this film, like this, are nothing short of remarkable. Coogler, a true hidden gem in the film industry, is sure to leave us with many impactful and memorable films in years to come.None of the films awards, achievement and impact could have been done without the powerful performance of Michael B. Jordan. Viewers eyes stayed glued to the screen as he carried his role through the authenticity of Oscar Grant's final day. He was able to display the emotional elements of life like taking on the role of the soft and loving father while, turning into a volatile ex-con in the same scene. Jordan masterfully is able to portray the man who is good at heart but carries many flaws. The broad spectrum of emotion he displayed can be described as poetic as it guided our hearts to feel a certain way, wile keeping us on the edge of our seats at what was to come. Fruitvale station strikes a chord in everyone's heart the more the audience gets to know Oscar Grant. Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer's forceful rendition of everyday life in the Grant family let viewers form a relationship with Oscar even just for that one day. This is why the closer you become with the real life characters, the more vulnerable you feel because of the inevitable ending the director laid out for viewers in act one. In our minds we watch and cherish every insignificant event because even though it seems so ordinary, little does he know, it was the last time Grant would do these simple things again. Viewers can envision their own lives and see similarities through Oscar Grant as he plays a father or a loved son. The film transforms a once ordinary person into a symbol of all life and how unfortunately for some, the absurdity of racism can bring it all to an end. Fruitvale station speaks to and can be enjoyed by people of all genders, races and religion. This triumph of a film leaves a sadness in the hearts of many and a change in the minds of all.
secretzfan
This film I know hit theaters a while back and became a big deal during the Trayvon Martin trial that had happened, but even without that this film works. Watching this film a while after the event took place has really showed what Ryan Coogler can do as a director. I had no idea this was based on a true story and yet even despite that this film works so well for me. Even without knowing the ending the movie still sets the tone right of what it is like to live in a black neighborhood filled with police everywhere on the streets and black men being gunned down all the time. It really makes the impact the film desires to give much more inspiring and powerful as well as we see what leads up to the event taking place and how the event as a whole ends up going down either way. Just seeing what our main character does in his daily life is very compelling and intriguing to me. It makes you grow attached to him. It also doesn't run away from his flaws and shows he isn't a perfect character who does the right thing all the time, but it doesn't make the events that happen to him any less wrong or immoral. Ryan Coogler is great and deserves a lot of praise for this film. He has down a great job directing it.
asianay
Fruitvale station is movie about a 22 year old man named Oscar Grant who was fatally shot New Years Eve 2009. He was shot while laying face down by an Oakland transit police officer in a train station. The police officer was reportedly trying to pull his taser. I found this movie very interesting and it kept my attention. Michael B. Jordan's acting was very convincing. The director was able to evoke feelings and emotions in viewers. Grant is shown as an unlikely hero and you are able to relate to the character. Which makes his death upsetting because you start to like him. But many believe the movie is bias and one sided to the victim Oscar Grant, showing the Oakland police in a bad light. All and all i enjoyed this movie but its not something I would repeatedly watch.
