There was so much buzz surrounding this film which made me want to see it for a long time and whilst I don't think it's as great as some people say it is, Fruitvale Station is a good movie.
Fruitvale Station follows Oscar on the last day of 2008 where he gets into an altercation that ends tragically.
This isn't one of those films you go to in order to have a good time. By the end of Fruitvale Station, I was shocked that an event like this happened. A huge problem I had with this film was how they showed you the end of the film right at the beginning. I feel the impact of the finale would have been so much larger if they hadn't spoiled it in the first few minutes. Regardless of that, what happens during the last 10-15 minutes are still intense and the aftermath does have that emotional punch to it. I also like how Ryan Coogler tried to show this film as realistic as possible. I also liked how Coogler portrayed Oscar. He wasn't someone who was completely perfect as you see some of the shady stuff he did get into.
Michael B. Jordan is really good as Oscar. You believed him as this character and during the subtle moments he did a great job. Octavia Spencer manages to really sell herself as Oscar's mother and may put you on the verge of tearing up.
Fruitvale Station isn't anything special but tells an important story that needed to be told. I wasn't a fan of some of the choices they decided to go for but the strong performances by Jordan and Spencer do leave an impact overall.
