Antwone Fisher is a rather simple film that is one of those movies where you wish it wasn't based on a true story. Sadly, Antwone Fisher is a real man who used this script to tell his story to the world. It's not easy to watch because Denzel Washington as director does not pull any punches with his portrayal of events and rarely leaves things up to the viewer's imagination. While it's hard to say I liked the movie, I can say there is a cathartic satisfaction that I was able to derive from watching Antwone's journey. It certainly helped that he cast himself as the psychiatrist who works with the young man, because he is always such a comforting presence. I loved every scene with him, and kind of wish he could have taken a more active role in the climax of the movie. Derek Luke is decent in the titular role, but I felt he remained a bit closed off emotionally with his performance even when the scenes started to demand a bit more vulnerability from his character.
While I appreciate all that the movie is trying to do in order to tell this dark story of a young man who was neglected and abused, but managed to rise above his upbringing, it's not particularly unique. It's an awful thing to say, but there wasn't enough to set this dark story about a traumatic childhood, apart from other dark stories about traumatic childhoods. I did enjoy some of the things Washington did with shot selection and setting up the dreams of a welcoming family greeting young Antwone that is echoed a few other times in the film. I simply wasn't particularly blown away by anything other than Denzel's performance in the movie. They even have the great Viola Davis in there and she only gets 2 lines of dialogue. I kept wanting more from Antwone Fisher, but it seems that the filmmakers' philosophy was to keep it simple. And, admittedly, while I wasn't wowed by the movie, it did bring some tears to my eyes which means they tapped into some real emotions. But it's not a film I expect I would ever want to watch again.
While I appreciate all that the movie is trying to do in order to tell this dark story of a young man who was neglected and abused, but managed to rise above his upbringing, it's not particularly unique. It's an awful thing to say, but there wasn't enough to set this dark story about a traumatic childhood, apart from other dark stories about traumatic childhoods. I did enjoy some of the things Washington did with shot selection and setting up the dreams of a welcoming family greeting young Antwone that is echoed a few other times in the film. I simply wasn't particularly blown away by anything other than Denzel's performance in the movie. They even have the great Viola Davis in there and she only gets 2 lines of dialogue. I kept wanting more from Antwone Fisher, but it seems that the filmmakers' philosophy was to keep it simple. And, admittedly, while I wasn't wowed by the movie, it did bring some tears to my eyes which means they tapped into some real emotions. But it's not a film I expect I would ever want to watch again.