Whip It!

Yeah I went and saw the new Drew Barrymore movie today, and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed. When I saw the trailer for it a couple of days ago I could pretty much build the entire movie in my mind. When I saw it however my preconceived notions did not diminish the experience.

Whip It! is a story about a young girl in a small town in Texas who's life revolves around school/work/and the pageants her mother makes her attend. One day she gets a flier for a local roller derby match, and ends up falling in love with sport. Excitement, and hi-jinks ensue, climaxing in a roller derby championship. That's all I'll say about that though.... Ultimately there's all kinds of plot which I couldn't predict, and I was extremely and happily surprised. Drew Barrymore's directorial debut is without a doubt a refreshing work, with believable characters, and a girl power formula which is sufficed to say wonderfully liberating. Does that make me sound gay? Likely. Lucky for me though I'm not.

Ellen Page (Hey babe!) is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to the silver screen since it was first erected. Her character in Whip It! was down to earth, living through problems which most kids experience daily. Her enchantment with the sport of roller derby is genuinely portrayed, as if she herself had longed to strap on the skates and raise hell on the track. Her conflict to satisfy herself and those around her is an everyday experience which she takes to the next level with her talents. As well her performance is only further enhanced by the supporting cast around her, who fill out the movie like a double quarter pounder fills your stomach. Full to bursting with multifaceted talent which has yet to be fully realized.

To finish Whip It! was a phenomenal film that left me wanting to watch it again directly there after. I hope Ms. Barrymore's subsequent films will be just as worthwhile as this one was. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.

Now to finish my beer and get to bed. ;)