Change Your Image
kwmac
Reviews
Whip It (2009)
great acting, excellent soundtrack, but the directing...
I'm not sure Drew Barrymore's figured out how to structure a movie. The editing felt jagged, which made the story feel undeveloped. On the other hand, Ellen Page was great, and so was Alia Shawkat. And this is really the story of one character: Bliss (Ellen Page). The acting carried the movie, with more than a little help from the music. And the roller derby action was fun to watch. Actually, those were the best-directed parts of the movie. It can be hard to direct sports action, but Barrymore was just fine in that department. If only she'd had help from a more experienced editor, I think this film would have gone from good to great.
Still, it was a fun night at the movies, and I got a free t-shirt (for the "sneak preview"). Even without the t-shirt, you should certainly go see it.
Adventures in Geocaching (2006)
Manages to Capture a Subculture in Half an Hour
Even if you know nothing about geocaching, you'll find yourself drawn into their world by this film. Do you identify with the Ventura Kids' aggressive quest for numeric leadership at any cost, or do you admire the purity of TRUROKR's relationship with the natural world? Or, alternatively, do you step aside from that dichotomy and find common ground with the lonely pursuit of Aerospacecase? Regardless, it's all there - life in a camouflaged tupperware container.
For those who do know the world of geocaching, there's the pleasure of the inside references - the old debates over park-n-grabs and "power caching," for instance. I've seen this movie twice with audiences of geocachers, and both times it provoked frequent laughter, applause, and talking back to the screen. Nora Donaghy clearly *got* them, and was able to capture their world succinctly. Brilliant.