REVIEW: Whip It

Whip It (dir. Drew Barrymore, 2010) ***

reviewed by David Sugarman

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut isn’t particularly notable for her direction – though I have no complaints in that department – but rather for two of the performances, one of which is the director’s supporting turn as roller derby captain Smashley Simpson. Barrymore has very few lines in the film, but she is hilarious as the dopey, yet surprisingly violent, team leader.

Whip It follows dissatisfied teenage beauty, Bliss (Ellen Page), as she discovers a love for the baffling sport roller derby. I’ll be honest, having sat through Whip It, I’m non the wiser as to how on Earth the sport works, though several attempts are made to explain it. Thankfully, that doesn’t detract from the enjoyability of the film, and indeed the film’s most memorable scenes are on the track. There’s also some predictable teen angst as Bliss confronts her stuffy, beauty pageant obsessed mother (Marcia Gay Harden), and a boring and frankly unconvincing romance subplot with rock star wannabe Oliver (Landon Pigg). Juliette Lewis is in there too, as the bitchy captain of a rival team. Essentially, the film is neither as funny, nor as charming as it would like to be, but it tries very hard, and Page’s performance brings some extra gravitas to an otherwise unremarkable script. Enjoyable, fun, but very lightweight.

———————————

Pretty sure every scene with Barrymore ends with her punching someone. True story. Worth seeing to find out if you understand roller derby or not by the time the film ends.

David