Spoiler Alert: Do not proceed until you've watched the film.
For the first week of Film Club, J.Y.H. picked the low budget independent film that did great at both Sundance and Cannes in 2013, Friutvale Station. The film is based on a true event and chronicles the last day of Oscar Grant III's life before his untimely death on a subway platform.
Disscussion starts this week. I'll be back later (probably this evening) to throw in my two cents. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join in on the discussion.
To get started I'd like to say the acting was really great. Especially the lead of Oscar Grant played by Michael B. Jordan. I'd only scene him in television and in a trailer for a movie called Chronical, but I'd say this is probably his breakout performance as a film-star.
I was unfamiliar with the "true story" aspect of the film so was a bit disappointed when the opening scene(after the dark voice-over conversation) showed the real-life footage at the subway station.I wish they had waited for the end to roll that. Within the first two minutes of the film the ending was predictable and inevitable. I do realize that most people watching the film will have the common knowledge of the "news story" from 2009 so they already know how it's going to end anyway, but I sheild myself from the news, so I would had prefered to not know the outcome until it happened in the context of the film, which seemed to be highly fictionalized.
Maybe it was based on a true story, but as written for the screen, Oscar did everything Saintly you can imagine save for kissing babies and handing out baloons. I'm sure he was probaby a swell guy, with a tainted past, just trying to stay on the straight and narrow path, and what happened to him was horrible and unjust, but the film makers did a great job making sure you'd fall in love with the "character" so they could pull out the emotional tear-jerker they were searching for in the film's climax.
Overall I rate this film high and recomend it to anyone (well any adult because of the R rating) You wouldn't miss out by waiting for the DVD release, because it's low budget with little action and no special effects, but it's one you could enjoy on the couch with a friend, just make sure you don't mind if that friend sees your tears.
I'm sure I'll think of more once others join in on the discussion. I tried to write a review but it was almost as bad as my rant here. Hopefully when it is less than one-sided I'll have some real insight to offer.
I guess I'll chuck out a quick review:
It's hard to make a movie interesting when you know the end already, even on a first viewing. This film mostly succeeds at that but is a little bogged down by some of the nuts and bolts.
If the audience knows the ending, the storytelling device of foreshadowing is redundant and detrimental.
On top of that, some of the acting was a bit weak. Some actors did better or worse from scene to scene. It felt uneven.
Camera work and sound were pretty good. Mostly low-tech realist shots with some more artsy expressive frames thrown in here and there.
Despite the rocky road leading up, the climax was exciting and the end sad enough.
All in all, not amazing, not a waste of time.
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Also, I haven't seen this guy Kevin Durand in much. He plays the big cop at the end. Cosmopolis was the only thing I could remember, but apparently he was also in the 3:10 to Yuma remake and the first Wolverine. Didn't recall either very well. Anyway, he was intimidating. If he has chops, he should be in the running for the fantasy draft Blood Meridian movie casting, role of The Judge. People have thrown out a lot of names for Holden, but the only one I thought was really interesting was Tom Noonan. Don't know about Noonan's vocal range, but slap a prosthetic belly on either of these guys and you'd have a sight.
I couldn't remember for the life of me where I saw him before, but it was definitely Wolverine.
As far as some actors doing better in particular scenes, I felt that a little bit about the lead role but I chalked it up to weakness in writing for those particular scenes and not necesarily acting, maybe it was a little bit of both.
We had just moved out of the Bay Area when Oscar Grant was shot, so we heard about it A LOT from many of our very aghast friends still in the Bay. I'm reluctant to see the movie, but only because it was such an upsetting and angering situation and I'm sure the movie will only make me even more angry. I'll definitely have to check it out now that I've heard two endorsements.
Riley, Michael B. Jordan was pretty decent in Chronicle, and the movie itself was far better than I had expected. That one is definitely worth a watch.
JYH, Kevin Durand has been in a couple other things, beyond what you've already listed, most notably the television show, Lost and as the main bad guy in Legion. Oh, he was also on Dark Angel for awhile, way back in the day. He's a very looming kind of guy, and has a type of quiet, simmering menace that in some scenes reminds me of Michael Shannon. Your suggestion to use him as The Judge is spot on. I'd love to see that.
Is this available anywhere but theaters? I'm curious to see this, but then again, I'm not sure I can stomach the fictionalization of this event.
It's only in select theatres Dave. I could only find it in four theatres in the whole Memphis metropolitan area and two of them were in North Mississippi. Look up Fruitvale Station on imdb and click on find a theatre and maybe it's in one near you if you decide to see it.
