WHIP IT! - REVIEW
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Director: Drew Barrymore
Cast: Drew Barrymore,Ellen Page, Marcia Gay-Harden, Eve, Jimmy Fallon, Juliette Lewis
Rating: ****1/2
For the uninitiated here's a rundown of what roller derby is"Girls in short skirts and roller-skates, covered in tattoos pushing each other, whilst racing around an indoor cycling track.
That's pretty much it. That was the basis for Whip It!
It starred Ellen Page (Juno) as Bliss, a girl with the pressures of the world on her shoulders, or atleast the pressures of her mother. Her mother had big dreams of pageant winning trophies and beautiful gowns for Bliss, though Bliss was pretty much going through the motions to appease her mother and had little ambition aside from getting out of her small town.
That was until a chance encounter with rebellion lead her to roller-derby and a new found desire stirred from within. This desire was not just to be different, but also to be truly happy, and good at something cool. Rather than be content with nerdy book smarts.
L-R: Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Zoe Bell, Eve, Ellen Page, Andrew Wilson and Krissy Krash
Along the way she contends with a stubborn mother, a boy whom she fancies and a friend who doesn't quite understand Bliss' want to compete in such a sport, when it goes against everything she has set in motion for her life - and perhaps that's the very reason she's so passionate about it, it's something new and exciting.
This is Barrymore's directorial debut. She shows finesse behind the camera and given the film was driven by action sequences it served a great purpose in showing of her skills. In terms of cinematography, the only gripe here is a particular scene between Bliss and her love interest that bares a striking resemblance to another story. Perhaps this was intended, however it took the shine away from an otherwise charming oddball narrative.
The bevy of babes that make of the roller-derby teams, including Barrymore herself are colourful and very engaging. Juliette Lewis as Iron Maven is particularly good, playing the tough "Jammer" from the undefeated Holy Roller team.
The weakest point in the whole movie was the feeble attempt at a love story between Bliss and her rockstar friend. This was glossed over and swiftly resolved, however it was not the focal point of the movie so the minimal screen time it was given is understandable.
Perhaps the greatest thing about the movie and its message, is the way the story ends. Barrymore and writer Shauna Cross give us an alternative to the Hollywood ending though still leave you walking away fulfilled.
Whip It is still a story about the angsty loner teen discovering her identity and living on the fringes of society whilst doing it, that we have seen many a time before however, this movie packs some grant, and spills some blood whilst doing it.
Get your skates on...and go see this one!
RottenTomatoes.com rated this 81/100
RogerEbert.com rated this ***1/2
(click the URLs for each review)
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