FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke. Produced by: John Linson. Written by: Stacy Peralta. Director of Photography: Elliot Davis. Edited by: Nancy Richardson. Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh. Released by: TriStar. Country of Origin: USA. 107 min. Rated: PG-13. With: Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, Heath Ledger, John Robinson, Michael Angarano, Nikki Reed, Rebecca De Mornay & Johnny Knoxville.
Catherine Hardwicke’s sophomore effort opens with spray-painted credits while the unforgiving
waves
of the Pacific punish the youth of Venice, or Dogtown, as they
affectionately call it. Though their passion is surfing, the teenagers’ futures depend on the
skateboards they ride to work, a surf shop where they putz around under the tutelage of Skip
(Heath Ledger). A hand-held camera, replete with dizzying zooms and rabid
editing, follows the boys as they skate, dodging makeshift obstacles like overturned trash
cans and staircases. Based on real-life skateboarders, the
film follows the “Z-boys,” as they’re called, through empty swimming pools, jam-packed arenas,
and the glossy pages of popular skating magazines on their respective paths to fame and
fortune. But the boys have to choose - stay loyal to their
roots and stick together, making headlines as a team, or take what they can get, marketing their own
individual successes, which would inevitably threaten their friendship.
Dressed like a gang member, with his head shaved and neck tattooed,
fans of Emile Hirsch (The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys) will not recognize him. As Jay
Adams, the founding
father of competitive skating, his face is a stone wall we can see right through.
John Robinson (Elephant) shows off
his budding acting skills as the skater with
something to prove, Stacy Peralta. When Skip calls Stacy his “bro,” Robinson’s naturally rosy
cheeks blush even brighter, having apparently received a compliment of the
highest order. In addition to becoming a skating legend, Peralta
wrote the film’s screenplay and has a promising career making documentaries
about extreme sports and its unlikely heroes, such as his own take on skateboarding (Dogtown and Z-Boys).
The film is anchored by its supporting cast, especially
Ledger, who is charming and likable for the first time in a long time. Johnny
Knoxville steals nearly every scene he’s in as a pimped-out skating sponsor.
The most interesting performance, however, belongs to
Michael Angarano as Sid, the Lords’ lovable best friend who doesn’t have the
look or the skills to be a pro-skater, but is accepted regardless. Perhaps best
known as Elliot, Jack’s son on Will & Grace, his role as an outsider
trying to fit in stands out amongst the pretty faces. Lords of Dogtown also
boasts the greatest soundtrack since Dazed and Confused, featuring a
veritable who’s who of popular artists from the ‘60’s and ‘70’s.
For those familiar with Thirteen, Hardwicke is treading similar ground
here, and one has to hand it to her for her no-holds-barred depiction of teenage
trials and tribulations. Though there is a very specific audience waiting to
see this film, her raw style and relentless camera work have made it
accessible to non-fans of the sport. Lords of Dogtown exceeds expectations
because of its ensemble cast and the eye-grabbing way Hardwicke tells the story, which is
pretty straightforward. She succeeds in making a spectacle of the
unspectacular and holding our attention for two hours. Not even the new Tony
Hawk video game can do that. Jeff Sneider
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