FRUITVALE STATION

FRUITVALE STATION Review

By Darin Skaggs

     First time director Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station tells the true story of a young man named Oscar and the last few hours of his life.  It begins with real life footage of Oscar’s last few moments as a he is shot during an arrest after a fight breaks out on a subway.  The story starts on New Year’s Eve around midnight.  He goes through his day looking for a new job, buying several presents for his mother’s birthday and dealing with the emotions, good or bad, of being a father.

     Told in a similar way like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, without the brutal violence, like the story depicts the last few hours of both characters.  But this man is no Jesus.  He has no job, a five year old at 22 and while seeming committed to his girlfriend he also flirts around with other women.  Though, you have to give Oscar an A for effort.  He spends his day trying to find a job, buying not one but two lobsters for his mother’s birthday despite not having much money.  He also takes great care of his daughter, giving her presents and sound advice.  So why tell this story, he doesn’t do anything wrong at the end and yet he is murdered.  The film says that anything can happen anytime.  He is proven to be a great person and at times a not so good person.  God is not trying to punish him nor karma finally getting its revenge.  It is just fate.  He is at the wrong place at the wrong time.

     The film is full of moments that foreshadow the fate of Oscar.  He is constantly telling his friends and family that he will “See them later.”  Other moments that foreshadow include him bonding with a dog that is run down by a car and left for dead.  He is the only one to care for it.  You could say that these moments are suffocating and on the nose, but for some it will work so much.  You could feel the sense of dread throughout the film and find the foreshadowing very compelling. 

     At times the story is pretty depressing and not that fun to watch.  With the ending, which you know from the very beginning it is hard to watch Oscar be in love with his girlfriend or play tag with his daughter.  This is the only real down side to the film which is incredibly well made by the writer/director.