Fruitvale Station tells the story of 22 year old Oscar Grant, and the life changing events that took place on the final day of 2008. We learn a lot about Grant and what he has been through by the use of flashbacks and impressive character development. He is in a committed relationship with the mother of his young daughter and is an ex-criminal who is trying to turn his life around to make for a better life for him and his daughter. He makes multiple positive life changing decisions on this day, but things take a tragic turn.

 The film stars Michael B. Jordan and Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer. Jordan, who is known for his role in the television series Friday Night Lights, is on point as Oscar Grant. Like some of the biggest stars in cinema today, Grant truly becomes his character and develops a connection with the audience as the film progresses. This film will definitely open many doors in Jordan’s career, as it showcased his still growing talent as an actor.

The most outstanding performance in Fruitvale, however, is Octavia Spencer as Grant’s distraught mother, who sticks with her son and believes in his character and ambition through to the very end of the movie. There is one scene in particular, in which Grant’s mother is speaking with her son during a conjugal visit in jail, which is mesmerizing on Spencer’s part. The viewer can feel her pain as she watches her son throw his life away, and her belief that he will turn his life around someday. It is no wonder Spencer has won an Academy Award in recent years, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she was once again nominated for this performance.

The real star of Fruitvale Station is the man behind the camera. Ryan Coogler developed an intelligent and well-structured script. The only thing more impressive than the writing was the direction of the film. Coogler made great use of flashback scenes and the power of silence. Towards the end of the movie, in the most gut wrenching moments, the pauses in dialogue between characters creates enormous tension leading to the intense ending. Coogler was very successful in making the audiences want to laugh when the characters laughed, and want to cry when the characters cried. By the end of the film, the viewer didn’t just observe the actions of the characters, the viewer knew the characters.

In the end, whether one enjoys the film or not, Fruitvale Station undoubtedly makes an impact on the viewer. One can learn a lot from the viewing of this movie, and for the first time in years, it wouldn’t be surprising if this low budget film gets nominated multiple times when awards season comes around later this year. The great triumph of Fruitvale Station is that it keeps the audience engaged and satisfied at the end in less than 90 minutes, in a time when big time Hollywood films are typically overstuffed, heartless and leave audiences bored and tired by the end. Fruitvale Station is the first great movie of 2013 and if you don’t get a chance to see it in theaters, be sure to watch it On Demand when it is released. You won’t regret it.

The movie is rated R, but is suitable for anyone 13 years or over. It is rated R for language.