![]() ![]() Known mainly for his work in television and in last year’s “Chronicle”, Jordan has caught a lot of attention playing Oscar Grant. This movie is a remarkable feature film debut for Coogler but he’s not the only revelation found in “Fruitvale Station”. Still the overall impact of the film is strong despite these issues. A few scenes are a bit heavy-handed and a more seasoned filmmaker would have probably avoided them. Is the film emotionally exploitative at times? I think so. The film does a good job of drawing those emotions from us. ![]() That said, it never took away the hurt I felt for the family, the discomfort of watching the police aggression, or the sadness brought on by Oscar’s death. I did feel Coogler was softening the edges a bit in order to draw more empathy from the audience. When you go in the docudrama direction, especially when tackling such a potent incident, you open yourself up that kind of criticism. But some have criticized the overly sympathetic portrayal of Oscar saying that is glosses over some of his real personal and legal problems. Coogler stated “I wanted the audience to get to know this guy, to get attached, so that when the situation that happens to him happens, it’s not just like you read it in the paper, you know what I mean? When you know somebody as a human being, you know that life means something.” It’s a smart approach that gives the film a real emotional kick. He was drawn to the story and spent time with Grant’s family in order to develop a deeper more human profile. “Fruitvale Station” marks the filmmaking debut from Ryan Coogler. One thing is for certain, a young African-American man, a father, lost his life and it should have never happened. I don’t think there is any way this tragedy can be fully placed on Oscar Grant’s shoulders. Others have said the shooting resulted from Grant resisting arrest. I’m not sure there is definitive proof of that. Some have said this is was a racially motivated crime. The incident would spark protests, unfortunate rioting, and dialogues about a number of feelings and concerns. The shooting took place on Januand was caught on numerous cell phone videos from witnesses. For those who may not know, “Fruitvale Station” is a docudrama based on the shooting death of 22-year old Oscar Grant by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer. ![]()
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