Movies like "Grind" can achieve a lot of great things without necessarily being great. I'm not going to give out or write other movies' names to explain what I said, but it's true and I'll try to cover it. After witnessing this film's horribly edited trailer, I knew something terrible was coming my way; but I also knew I had to see the thing.
Was it worth watching? Yes; but not technically speaking, if you get me. Apparently a producer called Casey La Scala decided to direct a picture and a music producer called Ralph Sall decided to write one. Both of them (also apparently) took that decision knowing that they didn't have experience for the job and that they would come out with something mediocre (I'm sure they knew).
The result is, expectedly, an unfocusedly directed and plainly written feature; which proudly welcomes all the clichés used in the underdog movies and the conventionalism of any movie that doesn't want to fail. It is about skates and skateboarders, and about the million who want to make it and the fifty that actually do.
It puts into the table real professional skateboarders (Bam Margera), a fictional skateboarder that the main characters admire (Jimmy Wilson, played by Jason London), a girl (Jennifer Morrison) The scenes go from skateboarding demonstrations with punk music where the stunts are stupidly shown and clearly seen by anyone who pays attention, to moments that make the best of the film The finest example is one of the first scenes, in which the main character, a looser, walks into a skate shop; he wants some boards: "I'm your most loyal costumer", he tells the vender. "Yes, but you never spend", the man answers. Suddenly, Bam Margera walks in and asks for three boards. Without hesitating it, the vender gives the merchandise to him. That scene is later paralleled, and it is done smartly.
Besides that, writer Sall 'tries' to score the film (remember he was a music producer?), that contains anything but original music, and his script is just covered with ideas about "following your dream", giving importance to the family and acknowledging the friendship as it is. That last thing is the constant sustaining factor of Sall's weak screenplay.
Eric Rivers (Mike Vogel) is the main character, the dreamer. Matt Jensen (Vince Vieluf) his dumb friend; the sexist looser bastard when it comes to women. Dustin Knight (Adam Brody) is the centered geek who wants to go to college but can't bail on his friends. Sweet Lou (Joey Kern) is the ladies man and the over the top guy who gives a damn.
The young actors who play these characters are a great thing about this not great piece. Mike Vogel got his first gig with this picture, and as the main character. Around the other experienced youngsters, he managed to dominate the role with determination. Vieluf, able to make anyone laugh by just looking at his face, creates an adorable being as he is disgusting. Adam Brody from "The O.C", has a lot going on for him. Finally is Joey Kern the one who steals the show. Kern is a graduated actor I've seen before and a talented one who can do better and more than what he has until today.
Maybe it's the fact that friendship in all of these films is managed with such a disinterest that ends up being the most realistic element of each movie. It's incredible the way the group gets along, the four of them; the dialogues, the situations, what they live, how they evolve. Believe it or not; it happens. Forget about everything else; the friendship in this movie happens: you can't miss that.
Was it worth watching? Yes; but not technically speaking, if you get me. Apparently a producer called Casey La Scala decided to direct a picture and a music producer called Ralph Sall decided to write one. Both of them (also apparently) took that decision knowing that they didn't have experience for the job and that they would come out with something mediocre (I'm sure they knew).
The result is, expectedly, an unfocusedly directed and plainly written feature; which proudly welcomes all the clichés used in the underdog movies and the conventionalism of any movie that doesn't want to fail. It is about skates and skateboarders, and about the million who want to make it and the fifty that actually do.
It puts into the table real professional skateboarders (Bam Margera), a fictional skateboarder that the main characters admire (Jimmy Wilson, played by Jason London), a girl (Jennifer Morrison) The scenes go from skateboarding demonstrations with punk music where the stunts are stupidly shown and clearly seen by anyone who pays attention, to moments that make the best of the film The finest example is one of the first scenes, in which the main character, a looser, walks into a skate shop; he wants some boards: "I'm your most loyal costumer", he tells the vender. "Yes, but you never spend", the man answers. Suddenly, Bam Margera walks in and asks for three boards. Without hesitating it, the vender gives the merchandise to him. That scene is later paralleled, and it is done smartly.
Besides that, writer Sall 'tries' to score the film (remember he was a music producer?), that contains anything but original music, and his script is just covered with ideas about "following your dream", giving importance to the family and acknowledging the friendship as it is. That last thing is the constant sustaining factor of Sall's weak screenplay.
Eric Rivers (Mike Vogel) is the main character, the dreamer. Matt Jensen (Vince Vieluf) his dumb friend; the sexist looser bastard when it comes to women. Dustin Knight (Adam Brody) is the centered geek who wants to go to college but can't bail on his friends. Sweet Lou (Joey Kern) is the ladies man and the over the top guy who gives a damn.
The young actors who play these characters are a great thing about this not great piece. Mike Vogel got his first gig with this picture, and as the main character. Around the other experienced youngsters, he managed to dominate the role with determination. Vieluf, able to make anyone laugh by just looking at his face, creates an adorable being as he is disgusting. Adam Brody from "The O.C", has a lot going on for him. Finally is Joey Kern the one who steals the show. Kern is a graduated actor I've seen before and a talented one who can do better and more than what he has until today.
Maybe it's the fact that friendship in all of these films is managed with such a disinterest that ends up being the most realistic element of each movie. It's incredible the way the group gets along, the four of them; the dialogues, the situations, what they live, how they evolve. Believe it or not; it happens. Forget about everything else; the friendship in this movie happens: you can't miss that.