There is much to admire in Denzel Washington's sometimes mechanical and always earnest directorial debut Antwone Fisher.

Written by Fisher himself, this autobiographical glimpse into Antwone's own life is at times, extremely painful to watch, as we are shown in detail many of the trials this individual had to endure from a brutal childhood to his long journey to becoming a troubled Navy officer. Fisher is haunted by a tragic past and overcome by bursts of uncontrollable anger. In the end, I suspect that writing this screenplay resulted in the best kind of therapy for him.

As a film experience this movie works more often than not thanks to the raw, emotional energy provided by a truly gifted cast.

Newcomer Derek Luke is outstanding as Antwone Fisher. This gifted actor is able to breathe life into this fully realized, and intricately textured character. The anger, the confusion, the innocence and the sense of yearning are all there, and Luke conveys all these emotions with effortless ease. Washington is also superb as Jerome Davenport, Fisher's psychiatrist. These two actors play off of each other beautifully, and the father/son dynamic that develops between the two is both subtle and touching.

Washington shows much potential as a film maker bringing that same energy we see in his performances to the director's chair. While much of Antwone Fisher strives hard to push our buttons, it ultimately breaks free of complete and utter manipulation when Washington allows his actors to dazzle us with their dramatic power. Yes, I couldn't help but get choked up during several scenes in this picture. While much of this stuff could have come across as too sappy, Washington and Luke are able to keep it real. I suppose it helps that this material is based on a true story.

Washington has also been blessed with a handful of talented crew members. The cinematography in this picture is absolutely beautiful and the entire cast shines.

Antwone Fisher's screenplay could have used a bit of work. As I stated earlier, some of this picture feels mechanical. There also seems to be chunks of the story missing, particularly involving the subplot between Davenport and his wife. This, however, could have been stuff that was shot but edited from the film. That's certainly how it feels. At any rate, Mr. Fisher is not a guy who had a lot of training in film. He wrote this thing from the heart, and that does come across. He reportedly worked as a security guard at a film studio for a few months and that helped spark his interest in putting this project together.

Antwone Fisher is inspirational in many ways. It deftly shows that having an awful childhood, doesn't mean that we have to have an awful adulthood. It's also further proof that you don't necessarily have to have a degree in film making to get a project off the ground. Although it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a friend like Denzel Washington.