Review of Antwone Fisher (2002) by Carlos R — 18 Sep 2011

To call it a masterpiece might be an exaggeration, and yes, it would be; but instead of that I'm going to call it a masterpiece of emotions. This may sound corny, and actually the film is corny, so that definition should be right.

This drama's plot regarding its plot is nothing new, and it's based on the life of a real person; and sadly there have been countless of similar experiences in real life, however some of them are special enough to become stories, and then some of those stories eventually might become films, and fortunately Antwone Fisher became a film... a great film.

Without being an outstanding cinematic achievement, the film is a little bit more than correctly made, but it is it's heart, the emotions it provoke, the passion of the performances and the magnificent directing work what makes it so special.

Minute after minute, the more I knew about the character Antwone Fisher, the more I felt in love with the character and with the film. The story-telling through flashbacks was nothing new either, but it was perfectly done and that doesn't happen that way very often.

A corny film that needs and requires to be corny. I mean, of course, corny in a good way... nor for free. Only that way, Denzel Washington could have made such a beautiful film out of a simple story like this. Simple, but not less human or less inspiring because of that. It was Washington together with Derek Luke's superb acting and the real Antwone Fisher's effective writing, who made it human and inspiring.

Sometimes, films need to be this way. Not necessarily masterpieces, but straight and heartbreaking films like this to remind us how hard life is and what's the best way to deal with it. Yes... films can also do that.