ANTWONE FISHER (2002) / *** 1/2
Directed by Denzel Washington. Screenplay by Antwone Fisher. Starring Derek Luke, Washington, Joy Bryant. Running time: 120 minutes. Rated AA by the MFCB. Reviewed on February 2nd, 2003.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Antwone Fisher (Luke) is a navy seaman prone to flashes of violent anger. After attacking a fellow sailor, Fisher is sent to Jerome Davenport (Washington), a navy psychiatrist, who eventually deduces that Antwone's problems are rooted in his troubled past. Bolstered by the support of Davenport and his burgeoning relationship with another navy recruit, Cheryl (Bryant), Antwone resolves to track down the mother he never knew.
Review: There are so many ways in which "Antwone Fisher" could have gone wrong. On the one hand, it could have swerved into the feel-good, vapid territory of the TV movie; on the other, it could have easily turned into a depraved, gratuitous depiction of human misery. Remarkably, "Antwone Fisher" treads the fine line between the two, and the result is a disturbing yet powerful movie about coming to terms with one's past. Partly, this is thanks to the striking performance of Luke, who manifests Antwone's rage and confusion without turning him into a caricature of psychological melodrama. Luke effortlessly finds the right notes both for the scenes where Fisher's temper boils over, and for the more tender moments involving Cheryl, and we are never left with any impression of discontinuity between Antwone's dual aspects. Washington's role in the film is less successful, as a subplot involving Davenport and his wife (Salli Richardson) never quite feels fully integrated into the rest of the proceedings. But his direction is excellent, and demonstrates a good sense of just how far to push certain elements: Washington clearly has a second career in the making here should he ever decide to scale back his appearances in front of the camera. Despite its grim moments, Washington delivers "Antwone Fisher" to a moving and triumphant climax.
Copyright © 2003 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
| Shannon Patrick Sullivan | shannon@mun.ca | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/
========== X-RAMR-ID: 34026 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 838730 X-RT-TitleID: 1119012 X-RT-SourceID: 886 X-RT-AuthorID: 1699 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4
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