Fruitvale Station

[JoeBanks]

After breaking out at Cannes, this opened in LA/NY today. It tells the (fictionalized) story of the last day of Oscar Grant's life. Oscar was shot and killed on New Year's Eve 2008 by a San Francisco transit policeman during his arrest on the BART train platform.

Michael B. Jordan (Wallace from "The Wire") plays Oscar and we get to know him in the hours before his death, flaws and all. Jordan renders a fully-realized characterization of a young man trying to escape the mistakes of his past and get his life back on the right path for his wife and daughter.

Pretty powerful stuff is about all I can say.

[Levenger]

Re: Fruitvale Station

Score another one for the Weinstein Oscar machine. This is the only film I've seen this year that has really stuck with me after walking out of the theater.

[JoeBanks]

Re: Fruitvale Station

Score another one for the Weinstein Oscar machine. This is the only film I've seen this year that has really stuck with me after walking out of the theater.

I was a little perplexed that TWC would release it in the middle of summer when it has the obvious potential to be an Oscar contender.

It's not a typical "big" award-type movie, like the ones that studios drop in the fall and during the holidays. But it's not as uplifting as those kinds of films tend to be either, so maybe that factored in.

Also, TWC has (The Movie Formerly Titled) The Butler coming out then, which seems to be their prestige pick for award season this year. And it also is African-American centered, which could be another factor.

Hope "Fruitvale" doesn't get forgotten come February.

[Madbandit]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I was a little perplexed that TWC would release it in the middle of summer when it has the obvious potential to be an Oscar contender.

It's not a typical "big" award-type movie, like the ones that studios drop in the fall and during the holidays. But it's not as uplifting as those kinds of films tend to be either, so maybe that factored in.

Also, TWC has (The Movie Formerly Titled) The Butler coming out then, which seems to be their prestige pick for award season this year. And it also is African-American centered, which could be another factor.

Hope "Fruitvale" doesn't get forgotten come February.

Sadly, with the verdict in the George Zimmerman case, it won't.

[Grandmaster]

Re: Fruitvale Station

No idea who this dude is or if it's even based on fact, but apparently he's black, and Jews running Hollywood means it won't get nominated.

Or, did I misconstrue the above remark (and I really hope that I did)?

[canela]

Re: Fruitvale Station

No idea who this dude is or if it's even based on fact, but apparently he's black, and Jews running Hollywood means it won't get nominated.

Or, did I misconstrue the above remark (and I really hope that I did)?

GM, this is an open book test. Feel free to look things up. And be willing to challenge your current assumptions.

Timing of the release couldn't be better. No accident, I'm sure. Been wanting to see this since Sundance.

[Richmond Weems]

Re: Fruitvale Station

Actually, I have no idea what Madbandit was trying to say, either.

[LateNightWriter]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I understand what Madbandit was saying, Richard.

I had planned to see Fruitvale Station this past Sunday, but after the Zimmerman verdict, I was afraid that after seeing the film I would explode.

I will go see it next week when I've had a chance to cool off.

Late Night Writer

[MoonHill]

Re: Fruitvale Station

This is why I value film festivals.

[emily blake]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I thought he meant the film won't be forgotten because, sadly, George Zimmerman made the film all the more relevant to us all.

Please do not get into politics here. Thank you.

[Madbandit]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I thought he meant the film won't be forgotten because, sadly, George Zimmerman made the film all the more relevant to us all.

Please do not get into politics here. Thank you.

You're right.

[Grandmaster]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I'm glad that I read it wrong and apologise to Madbandit for doing so.

Hmm, a drama about a dude we all know dies in the end... so, another American Beauty then?
I guess even half as good would make it this year's no.1 contender.

[nealm]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I thought this film was great overall and very affecting. But I had a bit of a problem with the filmmaker's overt attempt to try and make the main character redeeming. This was a kid who was in and out of jail, had a violent temper, sold drugs and even cheated on his girlfriend. Does any of this mean he deserved what he got on that platform? Of course not. I'm not even saying that these things make him unlikable of unsympathetic. But the filmmaker's went out of there way to show that- over the course of this one single day- he was about to turn it all around. Right down to him dumping a brick of weed into the ocean and some fancy business type handing him his card and basically offering him a job mere moments before the tragic events that would lead to his demise. It just seemed like a bit much to me. What happened to that kid was horrible by itself, I didn't need all that other cheese thrown on top. But that's really a small complaint on an otherwise excellent film.

[JoeBanks]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I didn't get any sense that Oscar was on the verge of turning it all around in one day. He tried to get his job back, and was told no. The dude giving him the business card was for some kind of tech company, and not in any way offering him another job (that I recall). He was just living his life day to day, like most of us do. I thought the movie fairly portrayed him as neither sinner nor saint.

[Signal30]

Re: Fruitvale Station

I thought this film was great overall and very affecting. But I had a bit of a problem with the filmmaker's overt attempt to try and make the main character redeeming. This was a kid who was in and out of jail, had a violent temper, sold drugs and even cheated on his girlfriend. Does any of this mean he deserved what he got on that platform? Of course not. I'm not even saying that these things make him unlikable of unsympathetic. But the filmmaker's went out of there way to show that- over the course of this one single day- he was about to turn it all around. Right down to him dumping a brick of weed into the ocean and some fancy business type handing him his card and basically offering him a job mere moments before the tragic events that would lead to his demise. It just seemed like a bit much to me.

Haven't seen the movie yet, but I'll assume that the filmmaker wasn't overtly trying to rehabilitate his rep, but was going more for the implication that the young dude lost his shot of a whole life ahead of him to "perhaps" have that epiphany.