As well as being a superb piece of filmmaking and writing that tells an important story of what happened, it's also a thought-provoking tribute to what could have been.
Michael B. Jordon honed his talent on series like The Wire and Friday Night Lights. His performance seems natural but that doesn't mean it was easy to achieve. It's subtle, deep and fiery.
The intimacy of debut writer-director Ryan Coogler's approach to the film and the no-frills, believably real quality of the main performances combine to drive the senselessness of Oscar's killing home with visceral impact.
It's a gentle film, with deep reservoirs of empathy and understanding. And so terribly sad.
Grantland
July 26, 2013
You wonder if Coogler would have felt freer had Grant somehow lived that night, if the director weren't put in a position where he felt the need to honor the dead by bringing him to dramatic life. But he believes in his ambition.
Ryan Coogler's film is very sad and will make you cry, and maybe that's a good thing. I acknowledge it's important to devote time and care to such portrayals of abuse and injustice, and Coogler has certainly done that.
It's hard not to watch Fruitvale Station with a coiled dread... Yet, Coogler's greatest achievement may be in reminding us that Grant was a work in progress with people who loved him in spite of his flaws and because of his hopes.
Birmingham Mail
October 10, 2014
[Fruitvale Station] has a profound emotional impact by keeping things simple.
Michael B. Jordan is simply brilliant in his portrayal of Grant, whom Coogler presents as a generally happy, if complex and somewhat troubled young man.
