Antwone Fisher Movie
Directed by Denzel Washington. With Denzel Washington, Derek Luke, Joy Bryant, Malcolm David Kelley. Antwone Fisher, a young navy man, is forced to see a psychiatrist. Antwone Fisher is a good sailor but he has a hair-trigger temper, and it lands him in the office of the base psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Davenport. He refuses to talk.
The directorial debut of Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, Antwone Fisher is an autobiographical drama written by the real-life Antwone Fisher. Played by newcomer Derek Luke, Antwone is a volatile young sailor in the Navy, getting into trouble for his constant fighting. When he gets appointed to see naval psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington), he begins to reveal the emotional problems behind his rage.
Through an introduction to anger management, Antwone is able to confront some secrets of his past and eventually search out his family for a confrontation. Also starring model-turned-actress Joy Bryant as Antwone's girlfriend, Cheryl, and Salli Richardson as Davenport's wife. Antwone Fisher's memoir, Finding Fish, was released to book stores right before the film's theatrical release.
Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi. Antwone Fisher is a pretty good drama, directed by actor Denzel Washington in his first directorial outing. The story is a well thought out, engaging, and the cast are very good in their roles. Washington is a standout actor, one of the finest that I have seen. With this film, he displays a unique eye for crafting a truly engaging story, and he is aided with some standout performances.
Derek Luke is great in the title character, and he adds so much to the film, that really makes this picture standout. I liked the film, but at times there are things that don't seem to work, and the material could have been handled better. Luckily the performances standout, and that's the strongest aspect of the film.
I wanted to really enjoy the film, but at times, some parts of the film tried to be a bit too ambitious, as if Denzel Washington had something to prove in the director's chair. The film was good, but it felt that the filmmakers tried too hard at making a memorable drama. In the end, the film was entertaining, but you could clearly see that the film tried too hard at being more than what it was, and it didn't end up being the film that it could have been. Luckily the performances here save the film, and also it does show that Washington is capable as director, but for this first directorial effort, he tried a bit too hard at delivering a drama that just made you want more out of the film. If you're a fan of Denzel Washington, this is worth seeing, but it's not a truly memorable drama. It's more of a good drama that could have been improved upon. But for what it is, it's nonetheless an engaging picture that relies on a good story and is saved with engrossing performances by its cast.
Antwone Fisher Movie Online
Strong acting and terrific story, based on the real-life experiences of former U.S. Navy man Antwone Fisher. Before I saw this, I had no idea that Denzel Washington had done some work behind camera. What I can say now though, is that he ought to do it more often. For his directing in this feature is quite phenomenal, and his acting on-screen just the same. It would be unjust to lay all focus on him though, as his co-star Derek Luke easily matches that excellence. I'm surprised we haven't seen more of him, because his performance in this film is truly worthy of recognition.
It's genuine and touching, and his story a highly riveting one to follow. Wonderful supporting cast as well, whose combined talents makes this anything but run-of-the-mill. Engrossing all the way and with a moving and heartwarming ending. Not to be missed if you appreciate great dramas.
When sailor Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke) is sent for a psychiatric evaluation to Dr. Davenport (director Denzel Washington) for getting into fights, he refuses to talk. But Davenport insists that he sit in his office until he does. Finally, Fisher starts to tell Davenport his story of devastating neglect and abuse.
And as he does, he finds himself opening up in other ways, even going on his very first date. Davenport goes outside the Navy rules to continue to provide Fisher with therapy that turns into a real friendship that changes both their lives. He encourages Fisher to try to connect with his family so that he can understand his story better. Fisher confronts his abusive foster mother, meets the mother who abandoned him, and finds the family of the father who died before he was born. At first, the fact that this movie does not follow the usual pattern can feel disconcerting, even amateurish. There is an obvious tension between what is important to Fisher the person and what works on screen.
Ultimately it gives the movie a kind of messiness and heart that provides some extra authenticity. Washington does very well with his first directing job, especially with Luke and model Joy Bryant as Fisher's girlfriend in their first major roles. Davenport, Washington's grace, dignity, sheer magnetism and ability to convey a complete character with every gesture are enough to carry the entire movie. Therapy films usually follow the same pattern as romance films, a sort of one-sided romance of the subjects with themselves. In other words, it's therapist meets patient, therapist loses patient, then therapist gets patient to open up with a big revelation to begin to heal.
But Antwone Fisher, a true story written by its subject, the journey inside himself is just the beginning. The story is not what goes on in his conversations with the doctor, but where that takes him. Families can talk about what kept Fisher strong through all of the abuse.
How did he have enough of a sense of himself to resist becoming a criminal, a drug user, or an abuser? Families can also discuss the theme of forgiveness, the ability 'to regard without ill will despite an offence.' Why is forgiveness more important for the person doing the forgiving than for the person being forgiven? Talk about Fisher's saying that he was ashamed for being unwanted, and the importance of forgiving those who do not appreciate us as a way of appreciating ourselves.