Kicks

1. Jordan Bred 1's 2. Fresh perspective from director Justin Tipping.

3. The first film to my knowledge to incorporate BART as a character.

4. The first film to shine some light on the sneaker culture.

5. The film has characters who feel real to their environment.

6. My favorite character in the film was Flaco, I like flawed people who are more than what they seem on the surface, he had a certain presence that was haunting.

7. I loved the astronaut, once he appeared the film took on a somewhat surreal feel for me, it added a unique flavor to the picture.

8. I really admire the director Justin Tipping, he made the film he wanted to make and that's what I plan to do.

"Sometimes I wish I had a spaceship.. Just hangout in space where it's quiet. And no one can f**k with me."

Kicks starts out with us being introduced to Brandon, a 15 year old living in the East Bay. We meet his two best friends Albert and Rico. The three live a normal day to day life of school, chasing girls, and getting high. Brandon is small for his age and doesn't a hold a lot of confidence within himself. This is due to his size, his longing for and lack of experience with the opposite sex, and most of all his confidence and status among his peers. Brandon's sneakers are busted, and he can't afford a sought after pair of Jordans. Albert and Rico both have Jordans. And hot kicks mean status.

This is a world where "J's" and other symbols give you a status.. Where others might look at you like you ARE someone. Where others admire and aspire for what you have.

We see this when Brandon acquires a pair of J's from a street vendor, and soon thereafter is beaten up by a group of thugs led by a man named Flaco. He is forced to give them away. The three boys decide to embark on an adventure over the bridge to Oakland to get the kicks back.

Don't get me wrong, this film isn't about Jordans. Or status. It's a coming of age film where we witness a boy at a point in his life where he learns to stand up for himself, and to truly realize what's important.

This is director Justin Tipping's feature-length debut. Tipping's realistic vision of this world comes through full force in Kicks. The film is presented in chapters each with a title card featuring a song that is a bit of a hint at what's to come. The cinematography by Michael Ragen is beautiful and aesthetically the film is absolute. The acting by Jahking Guillory (Brandon) and Kofi Siriboe (Flaco) is memorable.

The film is fast and harsh at times, yet so dreamy and alluring at others. The portrayal of how violent our world can be is disheartening, although at the end of the film you are able to corral a sense of hope. I would recommend this movie to anyone, and I'll be looking forward to Tipping's next project.

"Kicks" (2016 release; 80 min.) brings the story of Brandon, a 14 or 15 yr. old kid in "East Bay", as we are reminded at the beginning of the movie. Brandon has a hard time fitting in, dreaming that "sometimes I wish I had a spaceship", so that he wouldn't have to worry about being chased or fitting in. He pines for Air Jordan sneakers (a/k/a "kicks"). After saving up and earning extra dough selling candy, Brandon is finally able to buy the much coveted black-and-red Air Jordans, but within a day, he is savagely ambushed and robbed by a gang in the hood. Brendan is determined to somehow get his sneakers back... To tell you more of the plot would ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut from writer-director Justin Tipping. He brings us an insight look at the African-American culture in the Oakland/Bay area, where image and perception apparently are paramount. To not have decent sneakers is to not belong. To not be a 'tough' guy is to be dismissed by girls and guys alike. BEWARE: the movie does not hold back on anything, not in the least the violence that apparently is rampant in those circles. The ambush of Brandon, where a gang robs him of his newly-purchased Air Jordans, is vicious and repugnant. It almost made me leave the theater. Then a strange thing happened: Brandon's quest to regain his sneakers becomes a journey towards self-discovery that becomes mesmerizing, aided along the way by his imaginary/alter ego spaceman who guides him when he desperately needs help. Whether the movie accurately reflects what life is like in that segment of the African-American community, or simply stereotypes it, I couldn't possibly tell you, but what I saw displayed on the big screen made me shake my head on more than one occasion. It's possible, if not likely, that these things are simply incomprehensible for a middle-class white guy like myself...

"Kicks" debuted with critical acclaim at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. It opened this weekend without any pre-release fanfare or advertising at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at was attended poorly (only 2 people besides myself), and I can't see this playing very long in the theater. If you are in the mood for a tough "boys in the hood" tale that exposes/clarifies the importance of sneakers and other bling, this might just be the movie for you, be it in the theater, on Amazon Instant Video, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

This is a 20 minute story. Too long for a 5 minute short. Yet, it has some 45-55 minutes of footage. And the rest is just slow motion of the 50 minutes of footage. Nice try. The story is good. But it's a 20 minute story at best.

I appreciate the attempt to tackle a serious subject. Children are dying over something as simple as a pair of sneakers. I wanted to like this movie but the acting was horrible and over exaggerated. Yes, the N word, underage drinking, violence and drug use is rampant in an urban environment, but not the way it was depicted in this movie. It was so overdone that it was both laughable and depressing. If your not from this environment please understand that this is a terrible depiction.