Skate Kitchen Review | BamcinemaFest 2018
R: For drug use and language throughout, strong sexual content, and some nudity all involving teensMagnolia Pictures, Bow and Arrow Entertainment, Pulse Films, RT Features1 Hr and 40 MinutesDir: Crystal Moselle | Writers: Crystal Moselle, Jen Silverman, Aslihan UnaldiCast: Rachelle Vinberg, Jaden Smith, Nina Moran, Kabrina Adams, Jules Lorenzo, Dede Lovelace, Ajani Russell, Elizabeth RodriguezBACKSTORY TIIIIMEQuick intro about myself. I am a film student in New York City who studies under the concentration of screenwriting. Yeah, when I’m not reviewing movies, I’m busy trying to write my own narratives. So, back to the story. In the beginning of my Screenwriting 3 class, my professor wanted us to introduce ourselves by telling each other our names and to recommend a movie we’ve recently seen. The night prior I saw “Assassination Nation” which was a film that went to Sundance this year. When I mentioned it, this girl Rachelle Vinberg went, “I went to Sundance.” Me being the optimistic film geek that I am, asked if she saw anything at Sundance. “No, I was in a movie that went to Sundance” she said. Honestly, I thought it was like, a small part she had in a movie… like a character’s daughter.Months later, I go to a party and meet some cool peeps who I’m connecting with. Then, when I said about me going to this college under screenwriting she went “OH, I HAVE A FRIEND THAT GOES THERE!” Yet again, it was Rachelle. Several days later (due to the film geeks in my twitter feed) I see how she’s blowing up internationally appearing on magazine covers and I’m just like:
So I’m thinking “Okay HOW IS RACHELLE BLOWING UP RIGHT NOW!? And how did just one little interaction became a huge deal in the film world right now?” When she told me she was in a movie that went to Sundance I didn’t know she meant that she was the lead! All it takes is a little research to see how popular a classmate of yours is, for I learned about both this movie and the badass skate crew she is a part of.And, unexpectedly, it became one of the best movies I’ve seen this year thus far.
Camille's life as a lonely suburban teenager changes dramatically when she befriends a group of girl skateboarders. As she journeys deeper into this raw New York City subculture, she begins to understand the true meaning of friendship as well as her inner self.Camille's life as a lonely suburban teenager changes dramatically when she befriends a group of girl skateboarders. As she journeys deeper into this raw New York City subculture, she begins to understand the true meaning of friendship as well as her inner self.THE GOODFor director Crystal Moselle, whose previous flick was the critically acclaimed documentary “The Wolfpack” and her directorial debut, she seamlessly captures the authenticity of the skating culture and the urban beauty of New York City. This may be Moselle’s first narrative, but the way how everyone interacts with each other feels real and human. The major strengths of the film are the authenticity of the characters and the bond they have. I don’t want to restate words I said in my previous review, “Support the Girls” but both films reign in a camaraderie between characters who bond together so well that the narrative appears more organic .Magnolia Pictures’ upcoming August film slate is filled with great female-empowering stories that they’re distributing and this is another one of those films. Have a double feature of “Skate Kitchen” and “Support the Girls” and you’ll have a great time that will make youFeel like you can conquer anythingWant to be part of a badass girl crew
Because of the Skate Kitchen being an established brand, so to speak, you would assume that the film is just a fictionalized outlook on the lives of these girls, but it’s not. These girls aren’t playing fictionalized versions of themselves, but characters with their own distinct personalities. The primary focus is on Camille getting out of her shell. From the beginning, the very beginning, Moselle subtly expresses Camille’s desire of freedom and rebellion through her visuals. Whenever Camille skates one can relate to the freedom she feels as it brings her to her natural state. It starts off as a story centered on escapism and the little things that bring you joy. For Camille it is skating and once she meets the Skate Kitchen crew and eventually becomes part of their posse, she starts to open up.
What I do love about “Skate Kitchen” the most is that it’s what a modern day depiction of sisterhood looks like. Sisterhood can come in many forms no matter what age. One can refer to “The Golden Girls” or “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” but the Skate Kitchen are a variation of a sisterly unit that no film has ever captured before, or at least in times such as today. The cast (who are also close friends IRL) all feel natural and keeps you forgetting often times that they’re abiding by a script rather than improvisation for they share scenes together that are lively, humorous, deep, and discuss various topics that many can relate to. They just seem like the group of people you want to hang with and seem so fun to be around.Moselle has been working with these girls for more than two years now so that onscreen bond the girls share on camera goes off camera as well, which explains how this inexperienced cast delivers very human performances. Rachelle Vinberg carries the film very well with her performance where she captures the modern aspects of being a teenager where she is socially awkward, a bit angsty and rebellious, and constantly making bad decisions by only thinking about her own best interests. THAT’S HOW I WAS WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER!
Besides Vinberg, the rest of the cast does a great job. One of my favorite characters is Nina Moran as Kurt who is an unapologetic hothead that will kick your ass while popping an ollie. Every moment she’s onscreen, she manages to say something that catches me off guard and makes me laugh my ass off. Honestly, she reminds me of my little sister who has nearly the exact same personality as Kurt. Even Jaden Smith kind of assimilates into the scene and the culture of New York. He gives a very decent performance because this is basically Smith in his natural state.A lot of the shots are hypnotic mesmerizing where the skating sequences are filmed in a dream-like state. There is something magical in Khalid’s “Young, Dumb, and Broke” playing while a group of skaters skate around NYC during the late night.THE BAD
While Camille is an 18 year old teenager, she inherits the worst parts of being a teenager that not only you recognize for being, but also despise her for being so mean. There are moments where she is bratty and you straight up don’t like her. Then, at a later point, Camille pulls some shady shit that makes you root against her. The reason you still ride with her is because she is going through an arc that we’ve all been through before. This is her coming of age. There is a thin line between being rebellious and being an asshole and sometimes Camille is straight up an asshole. The girl unintentionally breaks her friend’s foot in a wipeout incident after she tells her, “Hey, I don’t think this is a good idea.” AND THEN, TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY goes, “Well, it’s not that bad.”THE RENDY“Skate Kitchen” is one of those movies that I dissociate myself from watching a movie and watching a New York story. Because of myself living in the city my entire life, I’ve witnessed this culture around me on the daily. Some of my childhood friends were skaters then, and are still skaters to this day, and have seen these girls ride around places they shred. Morselle perfectly captures the essence of this city and the personalities these teenagers have. I’ve known the no-nonsense skater girls and I’ve been around The Fuckboi (it’s a NY slang) skaters who wear nothing but Supreme. When I say this is an authentic NY movie, I mean it in a sense that this is a narrative that I feel many have gone through. We all have been that person who has to get knocked down a peg from their grace and learn the true meaning of family and friendship through the harshest obstacles that only the Big Apple can dish, and I love this movie for that. Last year “Good Time” was that authentic NYC movie that embraced the absurdity of the environment and this “Skate Kitchen” embraces the beauty through the youth without attempting to be hip and happening.LAST STATEMENT“Skate Kitchen” is a brilliant coming of age tale that delves in a cultural scene many filmmakers failed to capture, but Moselle achieves with her shredding cast, script, and direction making it a new age classic.Rating: 4.5/5 | 91%uper Scene: “Young, Dumb, and Broke” through Chinatown.
