Fruitvale Station

The last day in the life of Oscar Grant, a young black man shot down by railway police in Fruitvale Station. It's a case that got a bit of media attention, so it's not too surprising to see a film based on these events. The film would be Coogler's big breakthrough, not too surprising since he adds his signature to this story.

Oscar is a young guy who is trying to make something of his life, trying to leave unfortunate past choices behind. After celebrating New Year's Eve, a scuffle on the metro ends badly for him. A couple of hours later, he succumbs from a gunshot wound after a violent police intervention.

Performances are good, and the drama is solid. Coogler gives his version of the facts and Oscar's character does feel a little too idyllic, but there have been so many similar cases that you can take the plot as an abstraction rather than a realistic account of Oscar's last day. Not quite as impactful as I'd hoped, but certainly not a bad film.