MOVIE - ANTWONE FISHER - Review Rating $$$$$ $$1/2 (OUT OF 10)
STARRING - Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher), Denzel Washington, Joy Bryant, Salli Richardson, Novella Nelson, Vernee Watson Johnson, Viola Davis & Earl Billings.
DIRECTOR - Denzel Washington (debut)
The movie is based on the true story of Antwone Fisher's successful struggle to overcome extreme adversity. Fisher also wrote the screenplay.
The difficulty in reviewing this movie is that the story is exceptional, full of valuable life lessons, but the movie itself is just slightly above average. It's hard to separate the two when discussing whether the movie is worth seeing.
Fisher's story is quite simply remarkable. I won't detail his particular struggles here but suffice it to say that few, in similar shoes, have had the internal fortitude to overcome such extreme circumstances. The road to redemption is brutally and honestly presented. The trials and tribulations, that Fisher endured, are not presented as feel sorry for me excuses. Instead, they become mileposts on the road to hell and back. No one person, or group, escapes the searing searchlight that exposes the sources of Fisher's personal demons.
Fisher's honesty results in numerous sequences that are disturbing, to say the least, and at times make for uncomfortable viewing. The joy, normally associated with triumphing over such obstacles, is tempered by the knowledge that countless others have been similarly victimized. This movie should make you think about what more can be done to protect and help the nation's lost children. While Fisher should be admired his story serves as a stark reminder that we, as a society, are not doing enough. This message is as important, if not more, than the notion that with perseverance and a little help you too can overcome.
Antwone Fisher's story also serves to remind us how good we really have it. Teenagers and adults, raging against the "machine", should watch this movie and reflect upon the true nature of their circumstances. Their complaints, when compared with what Fisher faced, pale in comparison. Their actions, in retrospect, less justifiable.
All of this is not to say that there are not moments of levity and joy in the movie and life of Antwone Fisher. There are numerous parts of the story that will bring a smile to your face.
As a movie, Antwone Fisher, is somewhat uneven. The unfolding of events is partly to blame. Fisher's healing process had numerous starts and stops that weren't linear in nature. Thus, like a yo-yo, the audience has to constantly take two steps back to take one step forward. Further compounding the problem is that the brutality of many of the events, beyond the comprehension of most, become hard to convey convincingly. The feel good moments also have an air of contrivance to them. The tie-in between the opening sequence and one of the reunion sequences is a little too "cute".
The performances are also a bit uneven. Derek Luke does a very commendable job but occasionally is thwarted by the depth of Fisher's anguish. This is most evident in the scene in which he confronts his foster mother. It simply didn't ring true. Washington is his usual unflappable self but his role is rather one-dimensional. The rest of the characters suffer, in varying degrees, from too little development. A prime example of this is Fisher's foster mother. Her evil nature is explained by a brief, insufficient reference to a thesis about the after effects of slavery. Fisher's girlfriend's attraction to him and persistence, in pursuing the relationship, is also inadequately explained.
Antwone Fisher, despite its flaws, is worth seeing because of the importance of its message.
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
Antwone Fisher Official Website
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© Copyright
2003
David Schwartz.
Last update:
8/9/03; 11:07:10 PM.
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