Antwone Fisher

The Antwone Fisher DVD sheds light on the man behind the fictionalised tale of a rage-aholic seaman's struggle with his tortured past. "Meeting Antwone Fisher," the first of three featurettes, presents the soft-spoken yet resilient individual portrayed in the film by newcomer Derek Luke, who does an admirable job of conveying Fisher's multi-faceted persona. Meanwhile, "The Making of Antwone Fisher" reveals Denzel Washington's challenges of both directing and starring (as naval psychiatrist Jerome Davenport) in his impressive directorial debut. Antwone Fisher relies heavily on both performance and flashback. Initially, the film moves at a steady pace, with Fisher's violent outbursts providing some much needed action to the dialogue-driven screenplay. After Davenport calms him down, however, the film assumes a markedly more sombre mood until the end, which seems to grow further and further away with each passing scene. Shot with slick Hollywood gloss, Antwone Fisher is a moving testament to the indomitable nature of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds. At times, however, the implicit glorification of the U.S. Navy tends to be a tad overpowering, whether with scenes of fresh-faced sailors contemplating the world while staring into pure blue waters, or the somewhat suspect "Hollywood and the Navy" featurette, a not-so-subliminal marketing vehicle for the Department of Defence. At the very least, it explains why I can't get the phrase "Yvan eht nioj" out of my head. Extras: audio commentary by director and producer; "Meeting Antwone Fisher"; "The Making of Antwone Fisher" and "Hollywood and the Navy" featurettes. (Fox)