One of the biggest success stories at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was Fruitvale, a dramatic recreation of the last hours of slain Bay Area resident Oscar Grant.

His controversial death at the hands of BART police on New Year’s Day 2009 sparked debate and outcry from both sides of the tragedy, but the film doesn’t tackle this side of the story much at all. Its primary focus is to humanize Grant and not make him a complete saint or, in turn, crucify BART police for the events that took place. The film instead paints a mostly fictionalized portrait of Grant’s last day and for the most part succeeds due to a charismatic lead performance by Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle).

Fruitvale Station is the film’s new name post-Sundance, and I’ve seen both cuts of the film, the festival version and the one going out in theatres today. No major changes have been made and that will definitely please fans of the film who helped make it a huge festival success. Unfortunately, the same reservations I had with Fruitvale Station at Sundance, I still have today, and they lie with its very linear and by-the-numbers story structure.

This is writer-director Ryan Coogler’s first feature film, and despite his weakness as a writer, he definitely has a knack for bringing out great performances in his actors, especially his three leads. This strength is what elevates Fruitvale Station from a generic TV movie to something unique with an actual pulse.

Melonie Diaz and Octavia Spencer deliver great, nuanced work as Grant’s girlfriend and mother, but again, it’s Michael B. Jordan as Grant who actually brings the film to life. He is charismatic and tender in quiet scenes with his young daughter but it never gets too saccharine. These scenes are balanced out by flashes of Grant’s violent past in prison and how he was hoping to turn his life around. Jordan always finds a balanced tone, and even when he shows you Grant at his best, there is still an undercurrent of mystery on his face. This is a man who is trying to make things better but can snap at any moment.

Fruitvale Station doesn’t offer easy answers and is not an indictment of the police officers caught in the controversy of Grant’s real-life shooting. If that’s what you’re looking for then this is not the movie for you. This film is more of a “what if” parable, a story that despite its structural faults has its heart in the right place.

Grade: B

Rated: Not rated

Fruitvale Station opens July 12 in limited release.