Movie Review: Fruitvale Station

The timely Fruitvale Station tells the story of a day in the life of Oscar Grant and the events leading up to his fatal shooting on the subway. Not only does the social climate in which the film is released give it a heightened gravitas, but a singular performance by Michael B. Jordan elevates Fruitvale Station to a level it might not have achieved had the lead role not been in such capable hands.

Based on the story of 22-year-old Bay Area resident Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), Fruitvale Station follows Oscar as he moves through the events of December 31, 2008. After waking up, Oscar seems to sense that there’s something different about this particular day. So, he goes about trying to straighten his life out. He resolves to be a better son to his mother, whose birthday happens to fall on New Year’s Eve; a better boyfriend to the mother of his four-year-old daughter, T, for whom he also vows to be a better dad.

But, as with any instance of best intentions, events do not always unfold as one may want. Oscar, however, seems up to the challenge of turning his life around and it certainly doesn’t seem as though he will waiver in his conviction despite a series of obstacles that loom ahead for him. Throughout the day he meets with, talks to, and helps out family, friends, and even strangers; with each encounter, a little bit more of Oscar’s character is revealed. So effective is this technique of portraying Oscar that you’re emotionally destroyed along with the other characters in the film when the inevitable encounter with police officers at Fruitvale Station obliterates any plans Oscar had for his future.

While the film packs its own emotional wallop, it is Jordan’s work as Oscar that elevates Fruitvale Station above a typical bad kid turning his life around until tragedy strikes story. Jordan supplies all of the drama here as he does a brilliant job of conveying the hopes of a young man trying to change his life while being met with violence, crime, and racism. This is where the film’s resonance lies as most of the film has life being something that is merely happening to Oscar. There’s a sense early on that he has very little control over his destiny, or at least that may be the way he feels. But at some point that changes and Oscar’s face conveys a longing for something other than what he’s used to. From that point on, everything begins to point towards Oscar turning his life around. There’s even a flashback involving his mother that’s meant to provide something cathartic for Oscar’s character, but ultimately it’s more Hollywood foreshadowing than anything else. But that scene works because Jordan makes you believe he’s recalling that episode as motivation to keep him on his path of reclamation.

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While Fruitvale Station may have a few problems, the work of Michael B. Jordan raises the tragic story of Oscar Grant to something far more emotional and poignant than it would have soared in another actor’s hands.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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