Antwone Fisher
Denzel Washington makes his directorial debut about a boy who overcomes the odds and succeeds in life. He's played by first-time actor Derek Luke in a true story written by Antwone Fisher himself. Antwone has all the makings to be an outstanding navy officer, but sudden bouts of violence toward his shipmates force him to see psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, played by Washington. After the silence of two meetings, Antwone opens up about his abusive childhood with a foster mother after his true mother gave him up after being born in a prison. Together, they build a friendship that provides guidance to Antwone, both in his growing relationship with new girlfriend Cheryl and in his motivation to find his real family. And in the end, family is the missing piece needed to complete Antwone's new and better life.

Like first-time director George Clooney reviewed earlier, Washington shows a sure hand in directing, boldly moving along without taking too many risks. He manages to get an honest and inspiring performance out of Luke. In other less than capable hands, the movie may have degenerated into an over-acting free-for-all, complete with little touches that makes inspiration turn into the unbelievable. Instead, Fisher's story and Luke's performance seem all too believable. One flaw was the resolution of Davenport's storyline about his marriage. It's briefly introduced and is quickly resolved at the end. The movie could have been better if this was developed more. But alas, only slightly better since Antwone's story was already a great tale to watch. 3.5 stars