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Whip It: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:00:04 +0000

Are you ready for some real girl power!?! Based off all those hard-ass, sexy chicks out there who dress in fish-nets, give themselves bad-ass names like “Babe Ruthless” and beat each other up, comes Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut Whip It! If you’re one of those girls out there who never could relate to the Sex in the City gang because instead of shoe shopping you’d rather be playing capture the flag, hiking, or wrestling the boys, than this is the film for you. Packed with estrogen, it’s the most bad-ass chick-flick you’ll see all year.

Check out the review below…

The Players:

Director: Drew Barrymore
Writer: Shauna Cross (Book and Screenplay)
Cast: Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden, Landon Pigg, Daniel Stern and Drew Barrymore

The Plot:

What is an indie-rocker whose parents are obsessed with beauty pageants supposed to do in Bodeen, Texas? Join a roller derby league in Austin and make your dreams come true!

The Good:

Ellen Page: So much more kick-ass than I ever expected. After the trailer, I thought that this role was similar enough that she was going to go back to her Juno personality (which everyone was just saying was her), but she created an entirely new character and yet again comes across completely naturally. She’s a very different character from the film before and it appears as if she’s just being her. See’s able to bring her characters to life so effortlessly that I think that only now people can really appreciate what she did with “Juno.”
Alia Shawkat: While everyone is yet again kneeling before Page, Shawkat stole the show for me. She was hilarious, absolutely charming and every single time she was on screen I was interested in seeing where her story was going next. She might not have been one of the hot babes in fish-nets but she definitely gave meaning to the phrase “girl power.” Someone cast her in some more stuff! I want to see more of her!
The Score: The use of music really helped keep the energy up in a film that needed it in order to keep the ball rolling. Without so many energizing songs, the film could have lost it’s edge.
Drew Barrymore (director): All the amazing performances all come back to a good actress behind the camera. She obviously knew from experience how to give a helping hand. Although the film is not without it’s faults, she does a great job for her first time BEHIND the camera. The story had depth, the characters were layered, I was entertained throughout the whole movie, the action scenes were fun, the shots were simple but well put together, and overall the story had a fun narrative. It made me interested to see what she will do next. Sadly, we’re getting into a some of the films faults as well..

The Bad:

Drew Barrymore (Actress): She’s a solid actress, but maybe it wasn’t a good call for her to act in the first movie she directed. She had one of the weakest performances of the bunch, which was a real let down knowing what she’s capable of.
The Script: Not as bad as some, in fact, some of it was quite good, but it just wasn’t as tight as it needed to be. There were just little things here and there which were hard to ignore.
The Last Action Sequence: The build up was exciting but didn’t necessarily make sense. I appreciate that she broke the mold in a lot of ways, but at times I was confused about who was leading and what was going on.

Overall:

The film does have a few problems, but overall it was a fun ride with a lot of great performances. Well worth a trip to the theaters (possibly with a double feature including Zombieland).

Rating: 7.5/10

Gallery:

Interview: Drew Barrymore For Whip It

Mali Elfman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:45:35 +0000

Drew Barrymore jumps in front and behind the camera for her directorial debut highlighting the true essence of girl power, bruises and all, in her film Whip It starring Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden and Barrymore herself.

One thing we know about Barrymore is that she has been in the business her entire life and has a true passion for films. With all of her experience, it is about time that she finally made a film the way that she wanted to, without any cheesy love scenes and that deals with real issues in a real way. One thing is for she, she has created a film that beautifully and gracefully kicks ass.

Check out what she had to say about making her first film below…

Who took you to a Derby for the first time?

Drew Barrymore: I went there with Shauna [Cross] for the time after I’d gotten heavily, emotionally invested in the project and then seeing the world of roller derby just changed everything.

I think you’re going to have a lot of little girls wearing those skates.

Barrymore: I can only hope.

It’s an interesting time for you. You’ve got this movie which I think most people agree you did a great job directing. You got an Emmy Nomination for ‘Grey Gardens’. It feels like your pushing yourselves in ways and it’s kind of working out for you.

Barrymore: I’m trying to. I just want to not be comfortable and say, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s easy because I know how to do that.’ I want to do things where I say, ‘I really don’t know if I can pull this off or not.’ Living in that fear is very motivating. It’s very unsettling but it’s very motivating.

I chose for my twenties to be about different types of storytelling and starting my production company. This is the tenth film we’ve produced and it was just really a matter of me sitting around drinking wine, watching the Food channel, turning thirty and going, ‘I don’t really want my carbon copy aspect of life, I don’t want my thirties to emulate my twenties. How do I get into the fire?’ The way that I felt when I started Flower Films which was just terrifying. ‘Can I do this? Will I be able to?’ The definition of success to me is employment. If you get another chance to do something that you love again, that is heavy, heavy success. You can’t measure that numerically or anything. But by someone giving you another opportunity means that you didn’t screw it up too bad the last time. So you’re getting another shot.

I wanted to see if I would be able to get opportunities and doors opened up to me that I had not yet opened up for myself which was dramatic characters or directing. The jury is out and we’ve yet to see if I get a chance to do this again but it was an important first step that I took to really just feel like I was completely out of my element in every way possible. That said, all of this has been a lead up and an education and gathering and putting it all into this piggybank. So everything that I’ve seen and heard and learned and felt and experienced personally and professionally and culturally has all been wanting to be collected for something. my first film as a director or doing a dramatic part felt like the perfect places to put those into, a cathartic, healthy channel.

The underwater love scene is improbable but so wonderful. I think everyone wants to know where you got that idea and how do you decide to develop it?

Barrymore: Well, originally Shauna’s script, which she and I sat diligently with and rewrote for a year because there were some really wonderful aspects to it but there was some moments that were too easily resolved in my opinion. I don’t think that people come around as easily. I didn’t want to mock pageants and I really wanted to deepen the mother/daughter relationship and there was a loss of virginity scene. I asked Ellen [Page] to do the film before she did ‘Juno’. So once she did ‘Juno’ the loss of the virginity scene seemed improbable.

Then I was faced with, ‘Okay, what do I do with the love scene as a filmmaker?’ I just thought that as an actor having to do love scenes, they’re always rather uncomfortable and not as much fun to film and I think there’s a great shot in ‘Vicki Cristina Barcelona’ where Javier Bardem and Scarlet Johanssen are just captured making out in this beautiful way. It’s handheld and one shot. It’s just very, very cinematic and gorgeous and intimate. But they’re not always portrayed that way. Or you see some French new wave and it’s just so delicate or cinematic or interesting.

So I was just trying to think of, like, I didn’t want to show them having sex and I thought as an actor I would love to have something be unorthodox and more fun and more playful and then cinematically I just didn’t want to see two people in bed making out. So I just thought, ‘You know what, this is how I’m going to interpret the responsibility of having a love scene on my hands.’

What was the challenge of capturing the derby so effectively like you did?

Barrymore: I was much more drawn to a lower light sort of boxing style arena of lighting and crowd scenes. Derby has such an eclectic crowd that I really wanted to show the diversity of the people in the bleachers. I really wanted to do a lot of ATB and techno-crane and doggy-cam so that you were right there in the middle of all the action but I also wanted to do a lot of handheld and in field shots and three camera angles so you could cut it in a very traditional way, sort of more like a hockey movie.

That said, it’s hard and it was a great challenge for me to choose a sport where it’s not like put the ball over there or put the ball through the hoop or pass the goal line and you kind of know what’s going on. It’s a difficult sport to follow visually and to try and have the responsibility of keeping it fun and there’s all these things going on but trying to tell a little story that furthers the movie along with each game. So I just tried in the writing and the choreography and the jams to really combine all the elements and yet keep moving it forward and maintain action and comedy.

Some of the best action scenes of the year, but it was the mother/daughter scenes that I loved the most.

Barrymore: Thank you so much. That’s really what I wanted to make the film about because that’s something that I personally relate to. It’s so emotional to me because I know what we go through to try and get our parents acceptance especially when we don’t see eye to eye on our futures. So for me roller derby was a wonderful backdrop in an irreverent sports comedy but really the central reason that I wanted to make the movie was because I understand the emotions that come with trying to figure it out with your parents. So to me it’s a real balance and it’s a real family film. I hope that comes across.

Has that helped you in your relationship at all?

Barrymore: Not yet [laughs].

Sadly, due to her being quite sick and needing to leave early, that’s all the time we had with her. The beauty of her film is that it stands for itself and you can see it in theaters October 2nd!

Check out the Whip It featurette to hear more from Barrymore about her film and watch the trailer below…

Free Whip It T-Shirt at Sneak Preview this Saturday

Mali Elfman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:41:17 +0000

Excited for Drew Barrymore‘s film Whip It? Just got an e-mail that they are going to be previewing the film in 500 theaters nationwide, this Saturday September 26th and just to add a little cherry on top, everyone who attends the screenign will get a freeWhip It T-Shirt!

Here are the limited details…

WHEN: Saturday, September 26th
TIME: 7:00pm – 11:55pm (times vary by location)
LOCATION: Check your local listings

Check out their Facebook for more details, we know nothing more so don’t write in asking if your theater has the film! Check the almighty google!

Toronto Film Festival Review Round-Up

Mali Elfman — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:25:12 +0000

The Toronto International Film Festival has once again come and gone. Over the short festival days, some films came, saw, and conquered the audiences, while others were left lifeless in the event’s wake. For movies that were strong enough to bear the criticism, we’ve created a Review Round-up of the top ten buzzed about films of the year. We’ve got everything from Michael Caine‘s geriatric vigilante in Harry Brown to George Clooney’s goat killing Jedi in The Men Who Stare at Goats.

Let’s take a look at the best and the worst that TIFF 2009 had to offer…

Whip It: The results are in, Ellen Page makes the film…

The Highs: Without a doubt, this is Ellen Page’s movie; everything rests on her shoulders, and she pulls it off with ease and tough abandon. [Collider]
The Lows: While Whip It is fun, it’s got some issues, mainly with its script. It was written by Shauna Cross, a derby girl herself, who also wrote the novel that it’s based on. She’s a writing newbie, but unlike someone such as Diablo Cody…. Overall I was impressed with Whip It and I enjoyed it. Barrymore isn’t a strong point (in front of or behind the camera), but Ellen Page and her sidekick Pash (played by Alia Shawkat) are [FirstShowing]

Get Low: Balancing comedy and drama isn’t as easy as it looks…

The Highs: This wouldn’t have been as good as it was if it weren’t for Lucas Black, who plays Murray’s assistant. He adds an additional dynamic to the story that I loved. While Black has only starred in films like Fast and the Furious previously, he really steps it up in Get Low and delivers a performance that actually made the film for me.
The Lows: Balancing the Bill Murray humor and Robert Duvall emotion was quite a challenge. While it works most of the time, there were a few moments where it just felt out of place. I was expecting to tear up when Duvall was talking, but then Murray would throw in a quip or two and kill the mood. [FirstShowing]

Defendor: Woody Harrelson saves the day…

The Highs: Harrelson features large in virtually every scene and his work here is among the very best of his career, showing some remarkable depth and willingness to really let everything go to make Arthur work and he absolutely succeeds. [TwitchFilm]
The Lows: This debut feature by writer-helmer Peter Stebbings likewise seems destined for eyeblink theatrical play. [Variety]

A Serious Man: Move over Big Lewboski, here’s another classic Coen Brothers comedy…

The Highs: It is not only a brilliant dark comedy which will have you laughing out loud, but a masterful character study filled with great performances, of a family in crisis, the moral decisions they face, and the horribly funny consequences that result. The ending will have you talking about the movie well after leaving the theater, which to me is one of the definitions of great cinema. [/Film]
Best of all – in a film about one man’s utter misery, a series of bad luck that never seems to end – A Serious Man never falls into that world of discomfort that distracts from the experience. The pangs are there, but the Coens know how to ease the sting. [Cinematical]

The Men Who Stare at Goats: It’s a hit or miss…

The Highs: Clooney’s Lyn Cassady is easily one of the best roles he’s ever had, as, for the first time, he`s able to both embrace and subvert his seemingly smooth/ macho image with this. [Joblo]
The Lows: The Men Who Stare at Goats plays out like a slapstick betting match where each piece of ridiculousness gets topped by the next. And, as one would imagine, that means the ending can never quite live up to the journey it takes to get there. [Collider]

My Son My Son What Have Ye Done: A bad David Lynch rip off…

The Lows: My Son should probably be considered the biggest disappointment of the festival this year. There’s lots of ideas here, and maybe some of them will stick more on a second viewing, but so much of this is just poorly acted and scripted that it can’t be seen as anything less than a misstep in the career of a great and ambitious filmmaker.[The Playlist]
The dialogue is delivered in an entirely unreal manner, all of it strangely stilted as if the film itself has been corrupted by the mental illness which occupies its core. [Twichfilm]

Youth in Revolt: Michael Cera does it again…

The Highs: I think it helps that Cera`s got a really great director here, with Miguel Arteta- who previously helmed similarly dark comedies, CHUCK AND BUCK, and THE GOOD GIRL. His comedic sensibility seems to suit Cera, with him giving the performance of his life. [Joblo]
The Lows: The problem with Youth in Revolt (the book) is that it’s practically impossible to smash 499 pages of dark comedic brilliance into an hour and a half on the big screen, and, as such, Youth in Revolt (the film) definitely ends up feeling disjointed and forced in some areas. [Cinematical]

Disappearance of Alice Creed: The less you know the better…

The Highs: Much like Eric Valette did with Malefique, [J.] Blakeson has here created a film with a severely restricted cast placed in a severely restricted setting and yet managed to keep it fresh and engaging throughout. It never feels claustrophobic. It never feels repetitive. His sense of these people and the space they occupy is absolutely bang on. [TwitchFilm]
The Lows: The big twists in this, while shocking, are also actually kind of funny, and I’m not sure that was J Blakeson’s intention. There were a lot of moments of dialogue and other reveals that were unintentionally funny, or at least that’s what it seemed like. [FirstShowing]

Chloe: It’s really a tale of two ladies…

The Highs: Julianne Moore’s performance is breathtaking, as the disconnected Catherine her emotions are living and breathing vividly in every facet of her face. Amanda Seyfried is striking; the first image of the film is of her and we never forget that (”I can be your living, breathing dream and then disappear”). She is a remarkable natural beauty that you believe in – her performance is cogent, so remarkably telling. Julianne Moore and Seyfried have fine chemistry; their scenes together are deeply effective while the plot evolves around them in often surprising ways. [FusedFilm]
The Lows: The performances in Chloe seem fine, but removed. On one hand, it seems fitting — the chemistry-free connections revealing the utter disconnect from life that these characters seem to live. But at the same time, this is an erotic thriller, and if you can’t feel that attraction, that need, that at-all-odds desire, it won’t unfold and grab you as it should. [Cinematical]

Harry Brown: Get Carter on a pension…

The Highs: Barber doesn’t shy away from depicting violence, but he doesn’t dwell on it to a needlessly off-putting degree. He’s also subtle about getting across plot points that help define characters: Without beating viewers over the head, he provides ample explanation for why Harry might interrupt his guerrilla war, and actually risk capture, to aid a young woman near death after a drug overdose. [Variety]
The Lows: The problem lies mostly with first-time feature director Daniel Barber, whose previous work includes television commercials (always a bad sign) and an Academy Award nominated short film (no real guarantee of talent). The clichéd bleach-bypass-ish lighting that contrasts with the deep, semi-noir-ish deep blacks is not without mood, but there’s no real imagination to the compositions – no urgency, no real edge. The cutting is even more by the numbers and lacks the same kind of drive and build-up that made a lot of the 70s crime pictures so intense. [Daily Film Dose]

The biggest and most well reviewed film at this year’s TIFF was Precious, the winner of the festival’s top prize. We have a separate post devoted to the film, that highlights some of its reviews. Click on our Precious Review Round-Up to read more.

What do you think of our top ten films from the Toronto Film Festival?

The Worst Movie of the Year: All About Steve

Mali Elfman — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:18:09 +0000

Wow! We’ve finally found a film that could possibly top Delgo! Out of 42 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes at the end of last week not ONE critic liked the new Sandra Bullock film All About Steve. As of the moment, there are 78 reviews, and it has managed to move up to a 5%. Someone must have felt bad for it and decided to save their tomato to throw at something else much less worth.

Sadly, unlike Delgo, the film was able to pull in $11,225,000 at the box office, mainly due to the fact that it has Sandra Bullock coming off The Proposal and Bradley Cooper off The Hangover. It’s okay, you all thought that maybe their might be some redeeming qualities to it. Hey it had some good actors in it, maybe they could save the day? Nope!

So what do the positive reviewers say about the film?

“Not without its good bits. Even if you have to watch some supposedly nice guys be mean to get to them.” – Sara Schieron Boxoffice Magazine

Wow. That’s a gushing review…

It’s a sort of anti-romance romantic comedy, and though uneven, it’s a lot smarter than most films in the genre. – Liz Braun Jam! Movies

Smarter, than what exactly? There have been so many great movies lately, why waste the time on this?

This was one of those films that just sucks. There are truly no redeeming qualities to it. Even the trailer for it is cringe worthy.

I am interested in finding someone out there that saw this film and liked it. Anyone out there? Who believes what Bullock said about this NOT being a romantic comedy and about it being empowering to woman? If you want girl power just wait for Whip It!

If so, please leave a comment below and tell us why millions of dollars should have gone into making this film instead of making another film, helping the economy or feeding a small country?

Whip It Featurette: Barrymore Talks Directing

Mali Elfman — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:22:30 +0000

In honor of Drew Barrymore‘s directorial debut Whip It starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis and Barrymore herself, Fox Searchlight has just released a new “girl power!” featurette, with a bit of behind the scenes footage from the film and a few words from Barrymore about why she chose to get behind the camera.

Check out the featurette below…

Hopefully the films captures Barrymore’s positive energy and spirit! When I first heard about Barrymore hanging out at roller derby’s it made perfect sense, when I later found out that she was doing it because she would be taking the director’s chair, I wasn’t sure about what she could produce. But, the more I watch, the more I realize that she more than anyone knows the industry and has been able to stay positive throughout it all. If anyone is able to create a fun heart-warming romp filled with positive estrogen, it’s her!

The film is about a rebellious Texas teen (Page) who throws in her small town beauty pageant crown for the rowdy world of roller derby. Bliss’ disapproving mother (Harden) continues to try and get her to go down “the right path.” Bliss joins the teams in hopes of one day skating with her heroes Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore) and Iron Maven (Juliet Lewis).

The film will be premiering later this month in Toronto, and will be in theaters October 6th.

Who’s ready for some real girl power?

Poster for Drew Barrymore’s Whip It

Krystal Clark — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:20:48 +0000

Over MTV, they’ve debut an exclusive poster for Drew Barrymore‘s upcoming directorial debut, Whip It. The film stars Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, and Barrymore herself. The film has been getting a lot of positive buzz due to it’s quirky story and talented cast. You can check out the full theatrical poster below.

After seeing the trailer for this film it has quickly become one of my “must sees” for the fall. The cast alone makes me excited about the project. I’m sure we’ve all seen Rollerball, or other various movies about this aggressive sport, but how many feature the return of Daniel Stern? Where has he been?! Stern was a significant part of my childhood by starring in Home Alone and doing the narration for The Wonder Years. Who can forget that? Also, stunt woman/actress Zoe Bell is kicking ass and taking names later.There’s just too much amazing talent to pass this up.

Whip It hits theaters on October 9th.

Are you interested in seeing Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It?

Fall 2009 Movie Preview Photos

Krystal Clark — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:30:32 +0000

Over at MTV they’ve posted an extensive gallery of photos promoting some of this fall’s most anticipated film releases. You get a sneak peek at images from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Amelia, Nine, Ninja Assassin, Sherlock Holmes and more. From the looks of it we can expect some pretty entertaining movies to debut in the upcoming months. Everything from cheap comedies to Oscar contenders pop up during the later part of the year. Take a look at these revealing photos below.

These are just some of the films that I’m interested in, but there’s more to see over at MTV. They’ve got about two dozen photos for your viewing pleasure. Some of my top picks are Nine, Gentleman Broncos, and Whip It. I’m really interested in seeing what they’ll bring to the table. They’re very different from each other, but each have something interesting to offer in terms of story.

Not to be dismissive of George Clooney‘s new film Up in the Air. I’m sure it will reflect a humorous, and insightful look into the life of a jet setting businessman who’s looking for love. As the summer closes there are so many films to choose from!

What movies are you looking forward to seeing this fall?

Trailer for Drew Barrymore’s Directorial Debut, Whip It

Anet Hovhanesian — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:18:16 +0000

Many of us just heard about Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It!, and we already get a trailer! The film stars a young misfit (Ellen Page) from a small town (Bodeen, Texas) who finds solace when she discovers a roller derby league in Austin, Texas. The film, which is set to be released October 9th, also stars Juliette Lewis, Zoe Bell, Jimmy Fallon and rapper Eve.

Judging by the trailer, Whip It! is going to be a typical high school film but with Barrymore in the director’s chair there is bound to be a little more excitement than you average corny teen drama.

Watch the trailer below:

Page plays a good ex-beauty pageant contestant who rebels and finds her true self in the process which makes watching this typical teen high school film so much more fun.

What do you think, should Drew Barrymore stick to her day job? Or are you excited to see what she has come up with?

Photos From Drew Barrymore’s Whip It

Laura Aguirre — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:07:26 +0000

Drew Barrymore– now there’s a woman who’s not afraid to grab a bull by the balls– recently wrapped Whip It! her first film as director.

Although she has been acting and producing for years, Barrymore recently decided to get directly behind the camera to helm this roller-derby comedy starring Ellen Page as a rebellious teenager who signs up to play the brutal and sexy female sport against her mother’s will, finding the ups and downs of friendship and freedom in the process.

USA Today has published the first set of photos from the film, and below are some of the photos so that you can take a peek into Barrymore’s first done job as director.

Check them out below…

Like what you see? What do you think of Barrymore as director?

ScreenCrave.com » Whip It!

Whip It: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 7.5/10

Gallery:

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