Review: Fruitvale Station

Based on the True Story of Oscar Grant

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: July 26, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Biography, Drama

Running Time: 85 minutes

Director: Ryan Coogler

Writer: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, 

Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand, 

Chad Michael Murray, Ahna O'Reilly, 

Ariana Neal

"Fruitvale Station" begins with grainy cell phone footage of an actual shooting. Then it flashes back to a day in the life of Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordan), a young 22-year-old man from Hayward, California.  

"Fruitvale" follows Oscar on the final day of 2008 and the first of 2009. He has a girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz, who resembles a young Eva Mendes), and a preschool-age daughter, Tatiana (an adorable Ariana Neal). He's a good son. He makes a special call to his mother, Wanda (Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer), that morning. It's her birthday.

The film has a creative way of highlighting Oscar's calls and texts: Whenever he picks up his phone, letters and digits appear; and as he goes through his list of contacts, the names cycle on the screen.

The movie meanders through his day, but it never gets boring. There are little incidents here and there – an argument with his girlfriend, a minor confrontation with a boss, a situation involving a stray dog at a gas station, a drug deal – but make no mistake, it's the calm before the storm. As soon as Oscar and his friends arrive at the Fruitvale train station to celebrate New Year's Day, the intensity ramps up.

There's an incident involving two police officers, Caruso and Ingram (Kevin Durand and Chad Michael Murray). As soon as Kevin Durand appeared on the screen, I knew there was going to be trouble. From the repulsive Keamy on "Lost" to the sleazy promoter in "Real Steel," Durand specializes in playing absolutely repugnant human beings. Seeing his face stirs up unnatural levels of hatred in me – a rare feat for an actor, and a testament to how well he does his job. Murray, best known for lighter fare (such as "One Tree Hill" and "A Cinderella Story"), is no innocent babe in the woods here either.

"Fruitvale Station" shows Oscar in a generally positive light, but it never turns him into an angel. He's still a human being, with his own set of faults and failings. Another writer or director might have been tempted to erase his flaws, but "Fruitvale" works so powerfully precisely because Oscar isn't perfect.

MINOR SPOILERS: Some members of the audience will undoubtedly walk into the theater without any knowledge of the real-life incident that inspired this movie. I suspect they'll process the events somewhat differently the first time they see them all unfold. Even then, it isn't too difficult to figure out that things aren't going to end well for Oscar. The film's almost leisurely pace portends a tragic final act. I knew it was coming, but seeing it transpire on screen still had a powerful effect. I walked out with a heavy heart and numb feeling, almost irritated by the bright, harsh sunlight beating down on me.

While watching "Fruitvale Station," you can't help but think about life, choices, and the utter randomness of luck – both good and bad.

I'm guessing that second and third-hand accounts were used to piece together Oscar's activities and whereabouts, but since there's no possible way for anyone to know everything he said and did in the many moments he spent alone, I can only assume that a few creative liberties were taken to tell his story. I go into any Hollywood biopic expecting some degree of that, so it doesn't change my opinion of "Fruitvale Station" one bit.

Much has been made of Michael B. Jordan's incredible performance. It is never flashy or showy. It's subtle and sneaks up on you. It feels real and lived in. (Spider-Man's "Spidey-Sense" certainly tingled after seeing it.) The Academy should recognize Jordan with a well-deserved nomination. Octavia Spencer is just as good. Even though she recently won an Oscar for "The Help," I hope her work in "Fruitvale" isn't overlooked. Her portrayal of a mother and all that entails – worrying, tough, sensible – is raw and touching. As good as she was in "The Help," she's even better here. 

Most movies like this would end with a still-frame shot of the main character. "Fruitvale Station" lingers on just a little while longer. Melonie Diaz's Oscar chances are probably less likely, which is a shame, because she is every bit as good as her co-stars. Just watch the way she navigates the film's final scene. It's a heart-wrenching moment that will stay with you for a long time to come. 

Silver Screen Surprises Coming in July

Behind the Fireworks: This Month's More Mature Movies

By Chris Sabga

Are you looking forward to Grown Ups 2? Me neither.

Here are some of the more, ahem, grown-up options that you might otherwise overlook in the midst of the hot summer blockbuster season. As always, many of these will be limited releases, which may make tracking them down a chore fun treasure hunt.

The Way, Way Back (July 5th): Steve Carell plays a bullying jerk and Sam Rockwell is a good guy who mentors a lonely young teenager over the course of a summer. In any other movie, it would be the other way around. It's a different type of role for both actors, and that's always fascinating to see. Rockwell told Entertainment Weekly that this coming-of-age tale set in the 1980s is a mix of "Ordinary People" and "Meatballs" with a dash of "The Bad News Bears" and "Bustin' Loose." Sign me up!

Absence (July 5th): The "found footage" gimmick is beyond stale at this point, but a woman whose pregnancy disappears – well, that's a pretty intriguing hook. The end result – quality-wise – is anyone's guess, but the potential is certainly there.

Pacific Rim (July 12th): Is it cheating to list a big budget movie about giant robots doing battle in a list of potential Silver Screen Surprises for the summer? Maybe if Tom Cruise was still set to star in it, but Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba aren't exactly household names in the U.S. As always with this type of concept, it will either be fantastic fun or a complete wreck. With Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labryinth") in the director's chair, it's easy to get excited about the potential of "Pacific Rim."

Fruitvale Station (July 12th): Set on the final day of 2008, this film is based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old African-American from the San Francisco Bay Area whose encounter with police officers at a BART subway station made headline news. This is said to be a star-making role for young Michael B. Jordan. Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer ("The Help") is also in the cast.

Terms and Conditions May Apply (July 12th): Whenever we sign up for a website, how many of us blindly click "I Agree" without reading the lengthy and labyrinthine list of terms and conditions? Guilty as charged! Of course, that's exactly what these companies are banking on – for all of us to ignore the "fine print" and blindly consent to having our information shared and privacy violated. That's the concept behind this new documentary, which exposes the practice and will undoubtedly increase our paranoia in the process. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and controversial author Orson Scott Card and are among the names featured. 

Killing Season (July 12th): Stardom is a fickle thing. Ten years ago, a movie co-starring John Travolta and Robert De Niro would have been a summer event. Now it's a limited release. Is this actually any good? Travolta's goofy goatee casts some doubts, and he plays a Serbian. Oh boy! But I have to admit, I'm insanely curious.

The Conjuring (July 19th): The idea of yet another "paranormal" movie quite frankly bores me, so why is this one here? Because it's about a pair of real-life "ghostbusters" from the '70s – played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga – and there's no one better at handling this type of material than director James Wan ("Saw" and "Insidious"). Ron Livingston ("Office Space") also stars.

Only God Forgives (July 19th): Mercilessly booed at the Cannes Film Festival, the reunion between "Drive" star Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn has toxic buzz. That only makes me all the more curious. After all, the legendary "Taxi Driver" received a similarly chilly reaction at Cannes too, so what do they really know? Then again, Gosling is said to have only 17 lines of dialogue.

R.I.P.D. (July 19th): Even though this may not technically be considered a hidden gem, it scores points with me for originality – and it's facing stiff competition that week from "Turbo," "Red 2," and "The Conjuring." In "R.I.P.D.," Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds play cops who have to work together. If that sounds like another typical formula flick, consider this: they're from different centuries. That concept alone is enough to sell me on the movie. Do I really need to say anything else? Nope, so I won't!

Ways to Live Forever (July 19th): Just reading about it will make you cry. A 12-year-old boy wants to solve some of the mysteries of life: UFOs, ghosts, death, and – of course – girls. In other words, a typical kid – except, he has Leukemia. Where are the damn tissues?

The To Do List (July 26th): A stuffy valedictorian wants to let loose before college and makes a list of goals – sexual and otherwise – to liven up her image and experience what she missed out on in high school. All of the "teens" are played by adults, which was supposedly done on purpose for comedic effect. It remains to be seen how well that will work (I have my doubts, even if it "Beverly Hills 90210" did manage to get away with it). But with an early '90s setting and a cast that includes Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Donald Glover, and Andy Samberg, there's certainly no shortage of funny people for star Aubrey Plaza to play off of. Johnny Simmons, Rachel Bilson, Connie Britton, and Clark Gregg are among the other familiar names in the lineup.

Blockbusters: The Lone Ranger (July 3rd), Despicable Me 2 (3rd), Grown Ups 2 (July 12th), Turbo (July 17th), Red 2 (July 19th), The Wolverine (July 26th), The Smurfs 2 (July 31st)

There are few worse moviegoing experiences than watching a group of friends laugh hysterically while you sit there in a dark theater wondering what the hell is so funny. That was "Grown Ups" for me.  It wasn't a total loss though. My ticket, food, and drinks were bought for me, and I didn't have to do the driving! When those are the best things I can come up with about something I've seen, it goes without saying that I won't be turning up for the sequel. I love a good dumb comedy as much as the next person, but it actually has to make me laugh. I don't think that's too much to ask!

Out of this group, I'm most interested in "The Wolverine." I've somehow seen all of the others, despite having very little interest in the X-Men. I even enjoyed Jackman's previous solo outing as Wolverine ("X-Men: Origins"), even though its clumsy shifts in tone (it constantly flip-flopped from goofy silliness to serious drama) made for a jarring, inconsistent experience.

Which ones are you looking forward to? Comment below or discuss it on Facebook or Twitter.