Stolen Good

I bought this movie on DVD on a bargain today, but even paying 1 Euro for it was way too much. It's not the lack of funds that made this movie a terrible experience for me to watch. Bad camera-work and awful sound are only minor annoyances compared to the two major issues with what's wrong with this movie. First it's the acting. At some points in this movie I was really convinced that the actors were deliberately screwing things up. I mean, any mediocre high school stage play has better acting than what's shown by the actors in this production. Were the actors maybe convinced during the shooting that absolutely nobody would be watching the movie later on? The second point that makes this movie worse than just a waste of time is the plot, or better said the lack of any plot at all. Basically, the movie is about some youngsters hanging around with snowboards and stealing cars. After watching this movie for a quarter of an hour, I already knew - who cares what happens next? Please, ignore this movie at any cost, truly I haven't seen as bad as this in a long time.

I happened to attend the premier of this movie in New Hampshire (USA).

There are a few moments with "quiet" audio, and one or two darkly exposed segments. Other than that, the film story is compelling and honest, and shows the good and bad sides of snowboarding.

What is interesting, too, is the underlying story of how the snowboarding industry can, at times, chew young kids up and spit them out.

The soundtrack is good, and much of the snowboarding riding is simply breathtaking (they must have used a helicopter in parts). I haven't seen snowboard footage like this in any other film. Better than the Hollywood big production cheesy "snow films" (remember "Hot Dog", anyone? 8-) this film shows a truer side of snowboarding and the lives of the riders who are living it.

Why a 10? Well, for one, given the very limited budget (I can't remember what the director said exactly, but it was definitely under $500,000 (!)) it's probably the best film I've seen for so cheap. Secondly, the first reviewer seemed a bit harsh -- claiming "worst film ever" but hadn't even bothered to watch it all. Thus, I think some "karmic equalization" is in order.

If you want to see some great snowboarding, a Little Indie Film That Could, and get a direct view of the "secret lives of snowboarders", then I think you'll enjoy this film!