The suspense is replaced with utterhelplessness. The opening sequence is the raw footage of theshooting, immediately eliminating any possible suspense. If I had to sum up my feelings about Fruitvale Station in one sentence: it is the greatestmovie that I never want to watch again. The movie’s main goal is to force us to remember that no matter what happens in those ninety minutes, it is going to end upwith a man lying face down with a bullet in his back.
To be obsessed with whether the real-life Oscar Grantresembled at all the man that is presented in the film or whether those were the exact events ofhis last day would be to misunderstand Coogler’s intent. Coogler pays ultimate respect to the man Oscar Grant III, mirroring humanity withits complexities and contradictions. However, Coogler chooses to focus on the little day to day things: pickingup his daughter, driving over to his mother’s house and heading out to the city to party withfriends.
#Fruitvale station trial#
This film could haveeasily been about the consequent trial and prosecution or even just a real time film of the eventson the subway. But to focus on that would be to miss Coogler’s objective. Of course there are some flaws with this movie: some heavy handed scenes and blatantforeshadowing feature as well. Jordan nails the charismatic smile, creating a likable, butcomplicated Oscar Grant. Although it may be a lofty juxtaposition, I believe that Jordan compares to Denzel Washingtonwith his ability to transition from the gentle father playing with his daughter to the severe andserious moments on the subway.
In contrast, his relationship withhis daughter may be the sweetest and most heartwarming parent-child performance submittedin years.
#Fruitvale station movie#
Grant is in no way deified in the movie - we see all the angles of him from himcheating on his wife to him losing his job and dealing drugs. Jordan does not hold back inhis portrayal of Grant he pulls out all the stops on this one.
#Fruitvale station tv#
Some people may recognizeJordan from his extensive TV resume, notably as Wallace on The Wire and most Coach Taylorfans will remember him as Vince of Friday Night Lights fame. There must besomething in the name, because this man is destined for stardom. He presents a film constructed in objective melancholy rather than blindanger.Īt the heart of Fruitvale Station is the performance from Michael B. News and mediacoverage turned Oscar Grant into a symbol, Coogler is able to take deconstruct the symbol andflesh out the man. She attended an early screening of Fruitvale, which she found “devastating and gorgeous.” And she was thrilled when producer Forrest Whitaker, praised the “visionary filmmaker” she had known since he was a 17-year-old freshman.While Ryan Coogler’smasterful directorial and writing debut does not shy away from such issues, to watch this filmexpecting just social commentary upon social commentary would be a mistake. But soon he was writing his own “and fell in love with the process,” he said.Ĭoogler left Saint Mary’s for Sacramento State and USC film school, but Graham remained a friend and mentor. I felt like I was right there.” She urged him to write screenplays, something he knew nothing about.
.jpg "fruitvale station")
But Graham said, “I read your assignment… it’s so visual. “I was scared…nervous that I was going to get in trouble for what I wrote,” he recalled. Coogler wrote about the time his father, a probation officer, almost bled to death in his arms.Īs Coogler recalled in a recent interview with Diablo magazine, Graham called him into her office, claiming an emergency. She had asked her students to write about their most emotionally intense experience. It has won prizes at the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes.īut before he was discovered by Hollywood, Coogler, an SMC football player, was discovered in Rosemary Graham’s freshman creative writing class. The 27-year-old Coogler wrote and directed the film about the tragic killing of Oscar Grant, unarmed and handcuffed, by a BART police officer on New Year’s Day 2009. When Ryan Coogler’s film, Fruitvale Station, debuted this year to critical acclaim, he didn’t forget the Saint Mary’s professor who set him on the path to a career in film.
0 kommentar(er)
