Day 46 of the challenge! Thought it would be appropriate to finally get to Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station on the eve of Black Panther's big release. Like Creed before it (which I absolutely loved), Fruitvale Station is a powerful and human film. The world needs more Ryan Cooglers.
Let's start with a little context. Fruitvale Station is a biopic about the last day of Oscar Grant's life before he was wrongly executed by a BART cop on New Year's Day 2009. Despite only chronicling that one day, we get to know who Oscar really was through (excellently written) interactions with his friends and family. One scene in particular with his daughter (that has minimal dialogue) tells you everything you need to know about him; He's a good guy with a big heart that's just made a few wrong choices.
That's where Fruitvale Station is different from other "black experience" films. The film takes the time to celebrate Oscar for who he was, adding an extra dimension to the story and character. The inclusion of a few troubling flashbacks to key moments in his life offers a nice contrast and fill in how he grew as a person. Add on Michael B. Jordan's excellent acting chops, and you get a movie that sticks with you.
Day 46 out, 322 to go....