One day they decide to go look for some good skate spots in Hollywood and Beverly Hills...and the real fun begins.
I didn't really like the first third of this film. It focuses on creating the characters and teenage boys have got to be some of the most unappealing creatures on earth. Having been one, it brought up some not-so-pleasant memories.
The acting was painful to watch until I realized that they'd completely nailed a true teenage boy. Gawky, unsure, fearless, stuttering, painful, fearful, gross, sweet, lost and likable underdogs that they are.
The soundtrack is a mixture of down and dirty punk rock songs mixed with some moody (and spot on) pop rock songs. It reminded me of the soundtrack to Suburbia, which I love. The hand-held documentary cinematography works well here, even though I dislike that style intensely.
What is really fascinating is the fact that the boys are a mix of Guatemalan and Salvadorian heritage, not Spanish or Mexican. But they are, to most of the whites they run into, considered Mexican. But, these boys are punk rockers, through and through (they even have their own punk band). I will admit I was a bit shocked at first...my picture of punkers are (and has always been) of white, Caucasian boys. That, of course, should not be further from the truth of Punk - as it should be colorless. Debatable, that, but an interesting thing to note about this film and an aspect that I ended up really enjoying.
The film is slow and the director is a very odd dude in real life (he's a bit too fascinated with young boys), but there are some really funny scenes. Especially with Janice Dickinson and the Clint Eastwood-alike.
In the end, this movie reminded me a bit of The Warriors, but more realistic and set on the West Coast. One and a half thumb up and a definite Pass.
No comments:
Post a Comment