Fruitvale Station almost borders on documentary. For better or worse it feels pretty much based in the real world with no dramatization that I can see.An important film well acted. Can't help thinking though it could have been a little better and impactful.

It's hard to believe eight years after the death of Oscar Grant III at the hands of police on New Year's Day 2009 that things have only gotten worse. At the time of its release in 2013, "Fruitvale Station" colored the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, for which there was no conviction. Then came unrest in Ferguson, Missouri over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown and an ever-growing list of names: Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Alton Sterling – "Fruitvale Station" will be a relevant film for a long time.Like Grant, writer and director Ryan Coogler is a black man from Oakland. In fact, they were the same age when Grant was shot and killed while lying face down at the Fruitvale BART station. That's enough information to understand why Coogler made this film, but it's the way he tells Grant's story, among all the available options, that stands out and contributes something meaningful to the conversation of Grant's death – and life.Coogler's film is a dramatic retelling of the day leading up to the incident and its immediate aftermath. Most notably, about 60 of the film's 85 minutes take place before anything bad happens. Coogler does not want to focus on the minutiae of the events that took place at Fruitvale Station, nor the ensuing trial that trivialized every detail. He wants to focus on Grant's humanity and life, and how in a quick moment, it was snatched from him.Just in case any viewer comes in completely unaware, the film begins with actual cell phone footage of the incident. This looms heavy throughout the film, forcing us to constantly reckon with the knowledge that the man we see (played by Michael B. Jordan) will die. This puts a microscope on Coogler's screenplay, not only factually speaking, but why he shows us what he shows us.In that first hour, we meet Grant's girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz) and 4-year-old daughter, Tatiana, as well as other members of his family gathered to celebrate his mother's (Octavia Spencer) birthday. We watch him talk about the future with Sophina, play with Tatiana, try to get his grocery store job back, help a few strangers, and rendezvous with a drug dealer.Some of the scenes and interactions are a bit overly opportune given Grant's fate, but by and large we get a portrait of a complicated young man. Coogler makes a concerted effort to show us Grant's redeeming qualities and emphasizes accounts from loved ones suggesting he was trying to turn his life around, but at the same time he doesn't exclusively cast him in a favorable light. We get a flashback to his jail time, Sophina confronts him about a past affair, he's clearly still involved with drugs and he has a temper that sometimes leads him to be pushy and confrontational. All this to say, no matter which way the scales tip, when he ends up on the Fruitvale platform, "deserving" has nothing to do with it.The platform sequence, after all that buildup, is a riveting piece of filmmaking. Coogler edits together two perspectives, that of Grant and his friends' and that of the witnesses, in a few frantic, pulse-pounding minutes. Regardless of how Grant and his friends are portrayed and how the BART cops are portrayed, the escalation of events feels unbelievable and unfounded. It should never have happened, and yet so many must suffer the consequences."Fruitvale" profoundly crystallizes some of the reasons these tensions escalate and reminds us of the human, emotional impact these incidents have, regardless of the "character" of those involved and any race-related factors. Although no storyteller can be completely objective in interpreting events and facts around a sensitive case, Coogler's film doesn't make any arguments or attack racial injustice, but it does give all of us a reminder and a reason to make sure no one else has to die under similar circumstances.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

This film breaks the heart. when you watch this type of films who are coming from the reality, they touch the heart and the feelings directly. while now the people are trying to escape the reality to the fantasy and space movies. I loved this movie, and I felt so bad for Oscar. thanks for the writer, and my prays to Oscar. the funny part that the US is living similar situation at the moment in Dallas and many other areas. I don't know how can we describe this types of situation to people have not experienced them. when there is no justices in the community that is breaking the relation, and the trust. you should keep your eyes open to watch out. and also you will get tired of being watching out. then you will get nervous of your life. at the end you will face a lot of issues because of not being comfortable with your community.thanks.

Fruitvale station is movie about a 22 year old man named Oscar Grant who was fatally shot New Years Eve 2009. He was shot while laying face down by an Oakland transit police officer in a train station. The police officer was reportedly trying to pull his taser. I found this movie very interesting and it kept my attention. Michael B. Jordan's acting was very convincing. The director was able to evoke feelings and emotions in viewers. Grant is shown as an unlikely hero and you are able to relate to the character. Which makes his death upsetting because you start to like him. But many believe the movie is bias and one sided to the victim Oscar Grant, showing the Oakland police in a bad light. All and all i enjoyed this movie but its not something I would repeatedly watch.