Saturday, August 3, 2013

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Director: Ryan Coogler. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand. 85 min. Rated R. Drama/Biography.

Finally, a film showing black people as regular humans. They're neither clowns, nor angry cops, nor gangsters with huge rings and jeweled teeth. They're like Oscar: an honest youth, with his own flaws and outbursts of anger and a heart of gold, who just wants to survive and watch her playful little girl grow. That he was murdered in a 2009 New Year's Eve Oakland police shooting, makes him such a tragic figure; far more tragic than movies like Crash ever dream to portray. With incredible performances by Jordan, Diaz, and (as usual) Spencer, this movie shook me up.

PS: This devastating indie was a great award winner this year, both at Cannes and Sundance. Steven Boone does a splendid job on the movie here. I've come to believe among all of the late Roger Ebert's website contributors, Boone writes the most "satisfying" reviews.

Mo says:
MoMagic!


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