Antwone Fisher (2002)

I expected more from Denzel Washington’s directorial debut. The story of an emotionally troubled young man learning to come to terms with the traumas of his past with the help of a mentor isn’t particularly new. This version has a sailor prone to violent outbursts who is forced by his commanding officer to see a psychiatrist. It generally follows the expected tropes, except it speeds through the actual transformation of the main character so that it feels like a sudden, unearned change. One positive is that the acting is solid, particularly that of the actors during the flashbacks.