Michael B. Jordan is a revelation in the tragic true story Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station, which brings to life the tragic true story about the shooting death of a US man, could be a contender for an Academy Award

Fruitvale Station

FRUITVALE STATION [M]

Rating: 4 stars

Director: Ryan Coogler (feature debut)
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz.

A powerhouse drama based on a tragic actual event, Fruitvale Station has been justifiably tipped as a wildcard contender for the next Academy Awards.

On New Year's Day 2009, a young African-American man was shot dead by a transit officer on a train station platform. Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordan) was unarmed, and posing no visible threat to those nearby. There had been a scuffle among early-morning commuters minutes earlier, but it was not enough to warrant the fatal blasts of a gun that soon followed.

Such sad outcomes are all too commonplace in the United States, and this simple, stridently moving film drives home the pointlessness of a life lost for no reason.

First-time director Ryan Coogler zeroes-in on the final 24 hours of Grant's life, a confined, yet unrushed period that becomes more poignant as we know what lies ahead.

Scenes involving Grant's girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz) and daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal) tug on the heartstrings with raw sorrow, even though they are (mostly) happily getting along.

As for Grant's mother Wanda (Octavia Spencer), her constant anxiety that her son has not taken life up on all there is to offer (he has priors as a low-level drug dealer) prove all too well-founded.

As is the case with Coogler's thoroughly researched and flawlessly structured work behind the camera, Michael B. Jordan's depiction of Grant is a revelation. The phrase "keeping it real" is often abused, but it fills the bill when it comes to Jordan's achingly authentic connection to his role.

The film has been criticised in the US for blatantly making a martyr out of Oscar Grant. Rather, it saves him from becoming just another statistic.