Alrighty, so this is going to be my first post on this new blog, and I've decided I'm going to review Whip It! (Directed by the lovely Drew Barrymore) before I carry on with Clash of the Titans 3D.

Whip It! ****

Personally I cannot stand Ellen Page, and I didn't find Juno (2007) particularly entertaining, so when I was taken to see this by some eager friends I did not hold great expectations. Whip It! tells the story of a girl named Bliss Cavendar, who is rapidly detesting her home of Texas and the beauty pageant competition that surrounds her life. When out on a shopping trip in Austin she picks up a flyer for a Roller Derby event where she eventually becomes the impressive 'Babe Ruthless', much to her mother's disapproval...

I thought the narrative had originality, I've never seen anything like it before. It was crude, but in the right places. I'd say it was quite an indie film, it gave the same vibe as Juno; the soundtrack had a few well known songs such as 'Jolene' by Dolly Parton, but the rest were used to convey the emotion of a scene. Half way through the film I felt I had connected with Bliss, her friends were hilarious too. Not only was Drew Barrymore directing, she also played the accident-prone character of Smashley (cheesey, huh?) Simpson, Juliette Lewis playing Iron Maven (the best antagonist I've seen for a while). Lewis played a masculine character, as leader of her team I think men could enjoy this film for it's butchness as well as the obvious romantic plot between Bliss and Oliver (Landon Pigg). Whip It! did Ellen Page so much justice than Juno, she looked independent and fiesty, and I really enjoyed her attitude.

The camera kept up the pace along with quick cuts and made the audience feel how aggressive the girls are when they compete. There were definitely some interesting and intimate shots, such as the swimming pool scene (realistically, I don't think anyone could hold their breath that long!)and I found the cinematography and lighting very vibrant, along with their costumes which were all customised to convey a particular personality.

I think I'll probably buy this on DVD, but most of all I just want to get my roller skates out of my wardrobe! Definitely worth a watch if you're looking for an action packed comedy with a hint of romance.