PLOT: In a small town in the early eighties, the closing of the local roller-disco causes the nineteen-year-old rink manager, and his friends, to re-examine their lives.
REVIEW: SKATELAND is a fairly sweet coming of age drama/ eighties nostalgia piece, that has more than a few similarities to films like THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, AMERICAN GRAFFITI, and ADVENTURELAND. While it’s certainly not operating on the same level as those films, I nevertheless found myself becoming awfully fond of SKATELAND as the film went on.
Part of it probably has to do with the fact that I love the eighties. Sure, it was a nightmare for fashion, but it was also the decade I was born in (’81 to be exact), so the nostalgia part of the film hit pretty hard. My fellow fans of the decade will find a lot to like here, from the retro Apple Commodore used by the hero, to the kick-ass soundtrack, featuring some of my favorite acts of the era, including The Police, Joy Division, and a particularly memorable use of ‘Electric Avenue’.
It’s just a fun, pleasant film, which was a sharp contrast to some of the heavier films I saw at the fest. The talented young cast, led by Shiloh Fernandez, and Ashley Greene is extremely likable, which is extremely important for a film like this. I’ve never heard of Fernandez, but he makes a solid lead. As for TWILIGHT-er Ashley Greene, I thought she was a wee bit too drop dead gorgeous to be playing a character that’s supposed to be a wallflower, but, alas, this is a movie- where everyone gets to be beautiful. She’s does solid work, proving that Kristen Stewart’s not the only TWILIGHT alum with acting chops.
No comments:
Post a Comment