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by Genevieve Loh, published on March 24, 2010 - 05:55 AM How does one make a scrambled-together alternative sport like roller derby palatable for the masses? If you're Drew Barrymore, by bringing to your directorial debut what you have already successfully done for years as an actress. Hollywood darling Drew cleverly jam-packs spunky charm and goofiness gift-wrapped in unassuming sex appeal and sprinkled with all the indie film adorability she can muster - and just about saves Whip It from the glaring cliches it ironically sets up for itself. Juno's Ellen Page (picture, in green), despite being dangerously typecast, is still winningly winsome as 17-year-old Bliss, a girl who feels trapped living a beauty-pageant life imposed by her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) in a small Texas town. The outcast and her quirky best friend Pash (Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat) see roller derby as a way out, but is Bliss tough enough to roll with girl warriors like Bloody Holly (Australian stuntwoman Zoe Bell), Smashley Simpson (Barrymore putting in the hours), Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) and Iron Maven (the much-missed Juliette Lewis)? The good intentions are all there, acted out by the competently quirky and funny cast. But beneath all the tough Girl Power eyeliner, there is an unplaced feeling that Whip It doesn't quite know exactly what it wants to be. A movie with an indie, gritty feel as these unlikely heroes steal our hearts and break societal norms? Or a feel-good, safe cliche only pretending to be edgy and honest? Perhaps it's the failing of the often plodding script by Shauna Cross (a former derby roller adapting from her own semi-autobiographical novel) that tries way too hard to be witty and eccentric while serving up a mash-up of almost every other teen coming-of-age flick. But even as we are left wondering what drives a strong woman to enter this rough and tumble sport, there is still enough genuine heart, soul and subtly tender performances from Harden and Daniel Stern as Bliss' father to fuel Whip It and keep it rolling. Rating: 3/5 Source: www.todayonline.com |
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© 2006-2010 Dominik Keppner
© 2006-2010 Dominik Keppner
