Fruitvale Station (2013)

[DAR]

I agree with the general consensus definitely one of the better films of the year. Jordan an actor I always liked is fantastic. This guy is going to be big time. Even though I knew it was coming the ending was pretty emotionally devastating. A

[Michael Gary Scott]

Rewatched it and you know a movie year is good when this film is overlooked at the oscars

[Sam]

I saw ads for Fruitvale on TV with the line: "Michael B. Jordan is a revelation." Man, he really is. I hope he'll have a great movie career ahead.

[AdamKendall]

Had a sale at Target for $10 for the Blu Ray/DVD ... picked it up.

 

I was crying at the end, so very sad ... even though you know it's going to happen it still hits you hard.

 

Michael B Jordan and Octavia Spencer are both excellent. 

 

A-

[mattmav45]

Very good drama focused around true events.

 

Look, there's no doubt there's some story manipulation going on here.  That did not bother me in this case as I guess it is to be expected.

 

Michael B. Jordan and Octavio Spencer for the most part carry the show.  There is a strong sense of realism at hand here, particularly during the last hour.  

 

I suppose it goes without saying that the inevitable conclusion hits pretty hard.  In the end I'll remember this film as being a good drama based on true events.

[RobinHood26]

I cried

B+ (89)

Edited May 19, 2015 by Jay Hollywood

[Goffe]

I have two very minor nitpicks, one is the artistic liberty taken by Coogler when he omitted that the police office who shot Oscar said he would tase him, and the second is the transition between Oscar emotional states, in two partcular sequences (the grocery store and prison), where Oscar goes from calm to aggressive then calm again, it felt very jarring, almost like the film was trying to make a point that Oscar burst of rage was pathological, that he just couldn't help himself. 

 

But overall, it's a great piece of cinema, truly heartbreaking stuff. I lost it multiple times at the end.

 

Way better than I expected it to be.

 

85/100, maybe 90/100

Edited August 19, 2016 by Goffe

[Blankments]

Fruitvale Station is powerful in how it portrays Oscar Grant as a human being first and foremost. Jordan's performance grounds the whole film in a realistic poignancy that's both wonderful and devastating. Spencer and Diaz both deliver really fantastic supporting roles that resonate in a tragic sense. Coogler's direction is spectacular in general, but, as a debut, it's a miracle. The pacing is a bit off at points, but the power of the final half hour transcends any real issues of the first hour. Fruitvale Station is a shocking debut feature from Ryan Coogler, thanks to its strong performances and a clear sense of pathos. B+