Drumline

The "talented young smart-ass goes to college and learns there's more to life than being skillful or clever" theme is an old one and it's been done better many times in the past. Robert Young learned about teamwork in "Navy Blue and Gold." More recently Rob Lowe learned the lesson in "Oxford Blues." The difference between Drumline and these and other older films on the same theme is that the lead characters evoked more sympathy. Nick Cannon's Devon Miles character is a self-centered, posturing, swaggering jackass who evokes immediate dislike and though you see him grow up a little in the course of the film, you never really learn to like or respect him.

Drumline also suffers from an identity crisis of its own. You're never really sure what sort of story it wants to tell. Is is a "coming of age" story, a drama, a comedy, a romance? It tries to be all of these at once and never seals the deal on any of them.

Drumline could have told a good story about a New York kid learning that there's more than one way to be black in this world. There are a couple of hints of that in Devon's relationship with Laila. Her comment to Devon: "Southern sisters don't date...we have boyfriends," could have been an opening to a good subplot about differences in black culture between different parts of the US, but, as with so many other possible plots, the story touches it lightly, and then flits off to something else. An arrogant young freshman such as Devon would have had many lessons to learn while finding his way in this environment, but the film misses nearly every opportunity to show us the relationships between the characters in any depth, so the performances come off as predictable and mechanical.

All the same, I've seen Drumline several times and enjoyed it for what it does very well. The presentation of the music and and the work that goes into running a big university marching band are very good. I could have done with more of both. The all-too-brief glimpses of life at a black southern university are well done. Again, I could have done with more of that as well. Drumline also had moments of humor, and some visually engaging camera work, especially in the music scenes.

I like this movie. I just wish it had been better done.

One of the few times where black youths aren't portrayed as hoods, this movie proved it moved to the beat of a different drum (yes I know, bad pun). Anyway, I was pretty surprised by how well made the film was, considering there were no well known actors in the film besides Orlando Jones. This movie isn't just for band kids, it encompasses a broad spectrum of life that is actually interesting to watch. Sure, some might have considered this movie corny, but the band sequences saved any misgivings this film might have had. Watch this movie for the heck of it, because you might actually be surprised.

I'm not one of those people who moans and groans that "movies today are so full of trashy language" (or sex or violence or whatever), and that there's not enough "wholesome" (that word gives me a pain) entertainment for the family. For all those who do (and even those who don't), here's an energetic film that manages to entertain while eschewing content that could conceivably offend anyone (unless they find even the tiniest amount of innocuous, lightweight hip-hop too much to take).

The thematic ground here - young hotshot learns to sacrifice for the good of the team; underdogs strive for triumph - has been covered countless times before, so DRUMLINE wisely boils the plot down to its barest elements, for the most part sidestepping the obligatory contrived obstacles and setbacks, and plays to its strength: the music.

This is a story about college marching bands, focusing in particular on the members of the percussion section, and a good 50% - if not more - of the film concentrates on the lively and elaborate performances of the bands, which are complimented by equally lively cinematography and editing.

No, it's not deep and, yes, it's old fashioned. In, fact, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see Mickey and Judy in the roles of Devon and Laila (though probably with different names!). I mean, these are the cleanest livin' kids you'll see in any recent picture! But it's solid and it all works. Oh, and don't be scared off by the idea of so much college marching band music. Not being a football fan, my exposure to such things is limited to the Rose Parade, and I don't have a clue as to what state-of-the-art is for halftime entertainment these days, but, for what it's worth, this is the best college marching band stuff I've ever seen, and I wasn't bored for a minute.

Sure, the script could have been better -- in fact, it was downright predictable -- but in this age of godawful black-oriented shows on WB and UPN, how refreshing to see a positive portrayal of black culture that did not feature one single bug-eyed stereotype. And Orlando Jones (a guy who knows how to bug his eyes) can act! Who knew? And man, those band performances were hot! I really enjoyed it. Not a classic, but still a needed movie at a time when the bar is set way too low.

So what if the plot is lifted from OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN? Even as a Brit who has no experience of the culture of college marching bands, this is one entertaining film.

Besides, there's something a bit more important going on here. At the core of this film is the path that Devon (Nick Cannon) takes from the point of having no concern for anyone but himself through to understanding the concept of teamwork and respect for those who are trying to help him be a better musician and, ultimately, person. Not a new message, but one I think we need more than ever in 2006.

How can you dislike a film like that?