The Final Cut: Dogtown, Cinderella Man Offer A Good Time to Audiences

This weekend will be a good weekend for moviegoers as it seems there is a film for just about everyone coming out.  This week we take a closer look at Lords of Dogtown and Cinderella Man, two good films set to hit theaters Friday, and a glance at The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and two limited releases.  Whether you’re looking for a film with action and attitude, good acting and uplifting storytelling, or just a feel good movie, be sure to hit your local theater this weekend and take a break from everyday life.

LORDS OF DOGTOWN

Stars: Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Johnny Knoxville

In the early 1970’s skateboarding was seen as a fad of the previous decade.  In Venice, California though, a group of guys were about to change the way the world looked at skateboarding forever.  In a rough part of Venice known as Dogtown, Tony Alva( Rasuk), Stacy Peralta(Robinson), and Jay Adams(Hirsch) were three regulars who loved to surf and hang out at the Zephyr Surf Shop, a store run by Skip Engblom(Ledger).  When new urethane skateboard wheels came along to replace the old clay wheels, Tony, Stacy, and Jay took a new approach to skating by using their surfing skills, thus inventing a new way to skate inside empty pools.  Using edge flips and vertical moves, the young men added a new, dramatic spin to skating.  Word of the Z-Boys new style spread quickly, making them local, then national stars, but the sudden rise to stardom soon took its toll on the group of friends.

This drama tells the true story of the kids who created the modern day skateboard culture, and since both Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva served as consultants on this film, it should be true and realistic, not over dramatized like many Hollywood “true” stories.  If you liked the documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys, you’ll love this film, and if you haven’t seen Dogtown and Z-Boys but think this film looks good, you should rent it quick!  I can’t wait to see this movie- it’s sure to have a great storyline, plenty of action to keep the viewer involved, and it’ll be nice to see a skateboard film with a decent budget.  If you’re looking for a new release to see this weekend, you should definitely check this film out!

CINDERELLA MAN

Stars: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko

Russell Crowe stars as Jim Braddock, a once-promising light heavyweight boxer who was forced into retirement after a several bad bouts in the ring. As the country enters the worst years of the Great Depression, Jim takes a string of dead-end jobs to support his wife, Mae (Zellweger), and their three children, all the while holding onto his dream of boxing again. A last-minute cancellation lands Braddock back in the ring against the second-ranked contender in the world, and Braddock enters the ring carrying on his shoulders the hopes and dreams of a disenfranchised nation.  Nicknamed “Cinderella Man”, Jim goes from being a family man with a dream to a legend in the ring.

There has been a lot of buzz about this movie for quite sometime, and with big stars such as Crowe and Zellweger, you can be sure that the film is full of great acting, and you can even expect it to be nominated for a few Oscars when the time comes.  What’s best about this film is that even if you are the type of person who doesn’t care for movies with Oscar buzz surrounding them, you’ll still love this one.  While many films have the basic “everyone loves an underdog” plot, this one gives the viewer more through it’s inspiring story.  I’d definitely recommend seeing this film! 

Also out this Friday in limited release are Rock School- a documentary similar to last years’ School of Rock, and After You- a slapstick comedy directed by Pierre Salvadori.  Opening this past Wednesday was The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, starring Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel.  While many may be quick to write this film off as a “chick flick”, I think it will be quite a good film with a talented cast, so if you’re willing to take a chance, give this film a try, you may be pleasantly surprised!