Antwone Fisher (2008)

To be honest, I was a little hesitant to see "Antwone Fisher," the directorial debut by Denzel Washington. Movies directed by actors can be little more than self-serving vanity projects that merely say, "Hey! I'm an actor! And I can also direct! I'm so multitalented!" You can say the same thing about this movie, but you would be wrong. While it's a little sentimental at times, "Antwone Fisher" is one of the most heartfelt and genuine movies of 2002. Derek Luke is the title character, a young and hotheaded seaman who gets sent to Jerome Davenport (Washington) for psychiatric evaluation following a heated brawl with another soldier. From there, the two begin a painful journey that involves discovering the roots of Fisher's anger and, more important, the broken family that left him behind. It's often disturbing to see the psychological abuse Fisher suffered at the hands of his elders, and his strong will and tenacity make him all the more respectable. Luke gives a decidedly low-key yet strong performance and holds his own admirably against seasoned pro (and two-time Oscar winner) Washington. But if I have a slight bone to pick with this movie, it's that its plot has a bit of a "heard it before" feel. Several movies ("Good Will Hunting" comes to mind) have already featured a story about a troubled kid whose life gets turned around by an older mentor. Yet, "Antwone Fisher" earns its four stars thanks to its classy, non-flashy direction by Denzel and a solid performance by Luke.

...i would give this film ten stars even, more if there were a way. I saw this movie when it first came out on DVD in 2003, and i think i pretty much understood it for what it was, but i still didn't feel it for what it was. Then, i saw it again last night for the first time since 2003, when it very first arrived on DVD. This time, i both understood it for what it was meant to be and felt it the way it was meant to be felt. As a young, black writer trying to make my way along the same path that people like Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, J. K. Rowling, Antwone Fisher and Ralph Ellison have paved before me, it is always a very interesting thing to see such an honest and heartfelt screenplay make it to the big screen. The actors are superb throughout the entire picture, and they always manage stay in character. Just when you expect the characters to suddenly change due to some happy or sad or traumatic event in their life at the moment, BAM, reality is smashed into your face. This, more than anything else in the film besides the truth to the story, made watching it very worthwhile. Because Life often has no happy ending, and things rarely ever turn so quickly in real life, as they do in hundreds of other films. I don't exactly know how to describe watching this film. I'll just say that it moved me to tears several times throughout with no shame whatsoever. I was a child who was abandoned by his father completely, and i didn't have the best family life, growing up poor in a very small town. I loved this film so much that i got a copy for my best friend recently, as a Christmas gift. I thought that he must see it, if only to give him some view of what it was like growing up me or like me, although i know i didn't have it as badly as Mr. Fisher did. All in all, very great film, great acting, very realistc, very compelling, and most of all, completely honest, even when it hurts. Watching this film, you begin to understand that most personal problems stem from somewhere, most likely childhood, even if you've never seen or thought about this before. We are all truly sponges as children. See this film. You will not regret it. It may even help you to watch it. it helped me, after all. It allowed me to see that there is hope, this second time around.

Hawksmoor...From The Bleed

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All I can say is: Thank you, Antwone, for sharing your life with us, and thank you, Denzel, for bringing this story to the theater. You have made a huge difference in my own life, and I wish I could thank you personally.

As a child, I suffered much of the same abuse (though not so violent) and loneliness that Antwone experienced. It has been a long and difficult journey for me to move towards health. I did not make it as quickly as Antwone did.

What this movie did for me was to help me face again some of my old pain, but also, like Antwone in the movie, to see that I have finally found my own "Welcome Home" family in my two children, my two "in-law" children, their families, and my new grandson.

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I believe today's society is too reliant on counselors, therapists, and an abundance of Dr. Phils who tell us how to act and feel. But ANTWONE FISHER mellowed my opinion of couches and shrinks--made me better understand how a caring professional can make a positive difference in another person's life.

I was fascinated to learn this movie is based on a true story; I was even more impressed that newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role, is an actual friend of the real Antwone Fisher. Luke brings a plethora of range to his character: anger, resentment, confusion, forgivness, integrity, dignity. Portraying a young sailor trying to come to grips with his painful past--trying to control his violent outbursts--Luke flawlessly stays in character, whereas other newcomers have a tendency to overact. Antwone Fisher, as it turns out, is a remarkable human being; Derek Luke effectively brings this fact to the forefront.

Denzel Washington, portraying Navy psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, is superb. Davenport doesn't belittle, belabor, or browbeat his young patient--he gains Antwone's confidence through soft-spoken empathy and compassion. As the relationship between the two men evolves, Davenport becomes a surrogate father to Antwone. Yet Davenport also has problems in his personal life; his friendship with Antwone gives him the additional insight and strength he needs to confront them.

The chemistry between Washington and Luke is extraordinary; the scenes featuring just the two of them are spellbinding. ATWONE FISHER is also Washington's directorial debut; if Washington can furnish such exceptional storytelling right out of the gate, one can only hope he'll decide to go behind the camera again and again.

--D. Mikels

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****

This movie was a great viewing experience, based on a true story. It is about how childhood abuse and abandonment affects the life and career of a Navy enlisted man, especially in the area of anger. It is a little painful to watch at times, because as Antwone Fisher (beautifully played by Derek Luke) remembers his pain, you also experience it in a way. Ultimately, however, the effect is not dark but inspirational. The movie is about how Antwone struggles to be strong and to overcome his past---this struggle, to one degree or another, is one we all can identify with.

The acting was wonderful and the writing was also. The special features that came on the DVD version I bought (widescreen version) included information and a feature about the real Antwone Fisher. After he left the Navy, he was a security guard. A producer discovered his background, believed in him, and supported him in writing the screenplay himself. So the film is especially poignant in that it was written by the man who experienced it, one who does not have a writing background or college degree, yet who writes movingly, realistically, and wonderfully.

Although the subject is serious, the film does not leave you with a depressing feeling, but encouraged and uplifted about the human experience. I would have given it five starts, but I save that rating for "great" movies; although this movie was not great, it was moving and very worthwhile to watch and own.

****

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