'Fruitvale Station' Review - ★★★★

Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a police officer on the train platform of Fruitvale Station in Oakland, California on New Year's Day of 2009. He was a father, son, boyfriend, ex-convict, drug dealer, and a man of color. Fruitvale Station is an account of the last 24 hours of this man's life.

      27 year old writer/director Ryan Coogler makes his debut film about something he knows very closely. He and Oscar were both the same age and grew up in the Bay Area, under similar conditions. A critic or two have made claim that Coogler has taken this real life victim and painted a falsely positive picture of him. They do not understand that Oscar is not being glorified, gut he's being taken out of his post-death public persona and placed into a relatable reality. Coogler did his best to tell this story accurately through research of Oscar's cellphone messages and personal testimonies from people who were with him on his last day.

       The little things in Oscar's day, like reluctantly stopping for gas, make us relate to him, but nothing compares to the realism of actor Michael B. Jordan's portrayal of our protagonist. He can be the stubborn but loving son, the untrustworthy boyfriend, the playful father, and the terrifying thug all within a moments notice. His depth does not allow Oscar to be bound by any one label or stereotype. The film is a testament to the problems with that result from stereotyping.

       Yes, a policeman was the one to pull the trigger on Oscar, but the preconceived notion that a young colored man in an all black baggy t-shirt is dangerous, that is what killed him. Oscar was not perfect, no one is arguing that. He had made bad decisions and had had moments of true terrorization in his life, but those moments should not define his life. We all make mistakes, ones that can hurt the people around us. What we see in Fruitvale Station is a man trying his best to do the right thing. You can't ask for more than that. ★★★★

'Much Ado About Nothing' Review - ★★★☆

Joss Whedon takes a step outside of the Marvel's the Avengers spotlight for a moment to adapt Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The cast – comprised of Whedon regulars from shows Dollhouse and Firefly and films Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers – gives witty, cute, and passionate performances in a Shakespearean tongue that is spoken so quickly that, at times, it can be hard to translate.

      This comedy leans heavily on Benedick (Alexis Denisof), a man who vows never to marry, and Dogberry (Nathan Fillion), a slightly dimwitted constable of the Watch and “an ass,” who both light up the screen. The inevitable drama of Shakespearean writing is depicted through Claudio (Fran Kranz), who, love-stricken and gullible, shames his love, Hero (Jillian Morgese), in the belief that she has been unfaithful. Kranz is sweet and provoking as an ignorant romantic.

      Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing is all you could ask for in a modernized Shakespearean adaptation. The setting, wardrobe, and American accents are what separate this film from Shakespeare’s original creation, but none of which take away from the story’s comic splendor. The Bard would be proud. ★★★☆

42 Review - ★★★☆☆*

        42 is a film depicting Jackie Robinson's career starting with his departure from the Negro leagues through to his rookie year in the Major Leagues, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. This film is less about the life of Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) and more about the cause of this legend and his supporters to break through the color barrier of America's past time in 1947.

        42 starts as Dodgers President and GM, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), explains to a couple of his subordinates that the times are changing and that he plans on being the first manager to introduce a black man to major league baseball. "I don't know who he is or where he is, but he's coming." Rickey's awareness and preparation for the harsh future sets the tone for this film's depiction of racism in Robinson's life.

       Boseman's performance tends to be overshadowed by both the film's message of overcoming oppression and the exceptional performances of Ford and Nicole Beharie, who plays Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife. We find relief in the presence of Rickey and Mrs. Robinson from the stresses of racism that are impossible to avoid.

      The true appeal of this film and what separates it from other films tackling the subject of segregation in sports (The Express, Remember The Titans) is its depictions of Robinson's struggle on the field. Through the vision of Helgeland and the technique of cinematographer Don Burgess, every time Robinson takes a hit, we take a hit. Every time he steals base, we steal base. They show us exactly why baseball was America's game and why Jackie Robinson could not be ignored, regardless of his race.

     The highlight of 42's message lies in a scene with Phillies manager, Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk), attacking Robinson, up to bat, with a barrage of childish and racist insults, "nigger, nigger, nigger." The scene is extensive and takes a toll on us as an audience because we know that, if Robinson reacts, the oppressors will have won.

     42 thrives in its moments of athletic competition that are thrilling for anyone, not just sports fans. There is a repeated thought that "...he's coming." Now, he is obviously Jackie Robinson, but what he represents is change. Change is inevitable and, most importantly, change is necessary. Whether he wanted to be or not, Robinson was a pioneer in the advancement of equality in America. He has most certainly arrived and his legacy will live on, thanks in small part to this exceptional film.
★★★☆☆*

*Changed to a five star system for an adequate rating

The Place Beyond The Pines - Review ★★★☆

     The seemingly long drought of good movies, post-Oscars, has officially ended, thanks to Director, Derek Cianfrance. After the success of 2010's Blue Valentine (an honest take on the consequences of marrying for love), Cianfrance dives into a new facet of domestic livelihood.

    The Place Beyond the Pines is a thrill ride of recklessness, fatherhood, and the desperation of men to salvage a legacy worth remembering. Ryan Gosling reunites with Cianfrance to play Luke, a wild boy, who quits his job as a motorcycle stunt rider when he finds out about a baby boy he never knew he had with Romina (Eva Mendes). Luke finds a more profitable outlet for riding bikes: robbing banks, in hopes that the income will somehow offer him a clean slate in terms of his son's image of him. Luke's ambition catches up to him when he attempts two robberies in one day. After an epic chase, the story transitions to Avery (Bradley Cooper), who starts out as a beloved, hero cop recovering from a gunshot wound.

     Avery tries to take control of his destiny while being pushed in different directions; from his peers, who are dirty cops, his politically determining father, and his anxious wife and their one-year-
old son. Eventually, he succumbs to the pressure and becomes a blackmailing, self-loathing politician.

   After a fifteen-year jump, we venture through the consequences of both Luke and Avery's present turned past. Avery takes in his son, AJ (Emory Cohen), from his now ex-wife, for his last year of high school. It is here that AJ befriends Jason (Dane DeHaan), unknowingly the son of Luke. The boys, outcasts, get in trouble with the law and, soon after, revelations of their fathers' past come to light.

  Cianfrance makes a brilliant point of highlighting the way men selfishly attempt to reshape their legacy through their sons. Luke resorts to crime and violence in order to present himself as a father to be proud of, but when the inevitable tarnish on that image becomes clear, he removes himself completely from his son's world. Avery's father took advantage of his son's desire to please; in response, Avery neglects his son from infancy to avoid making mistakes and passing the unpleasant relationship he had with his father onto his son.

  The Place Beyond the Pines has its climax so early on that the film begins to drag in what feels like an hour and a half long third act. Also, the film is lacking in the development of Romina. She is a character that is essential to each of the men's progression, but, instead of creating a new layer to this male driven story, she serves as no more than a plot point without personality outside of a damsel constantly in distress.

This film has gotten very mixed reviews, but the short list of flaws in Pines is outweighed by its excellence. "If you ride like lighting, you're going to crash like thunder," and that's exactly what happens in The Place Beyond the Pines.
★ ★ ★ ☆