NYFS @ The Movies

 

Free Style
Director: William Dear
Starring: Corbin Bleu
Runningtime: 94min
Opens October 9, 2009

Free Style is a film about amateur motocross racer Cale Bryant, portrayed by Corbin Bleu, which touts the tried and true moral: it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.

The film shows the value of teamwork even in motocross, where it’s every man for himself. Thus, the characters in Free Style manage to overcome their personal competitive agendas in order to help Cale become a professional racer.

Free Style is a great triumph over adversity piece. The first hour of this film is dedicated to Cale’s friends and family abandoning him. Consequently, he must give up motocross to provide for his family. Things get better, however, and in the last twenty minutes of Free Style is positively uplifting.

The best part of Free Style is the actual racing. These hyper-realistic scenes give you an impression of how intense motocross racing truly is. The really cool slow motion treatment make Free Style must-see big-screen viewing. But don’t expect your typical plot-less extreme sports blowout. instead, you should see Free Style for a meaningful teen sports drama with a motocross twist.

More than a Game
Director: Kristopher Belman
Starring: Lebron James
Running time: 102 min
Opens October 2, 2009

By Sam Blum in this masterpiece documentary directed by Kristopher Belman, a group of four childhood friends show how their love for one another makes them champions. more than a game is not centered around how great Lebron James was in high school. it’s more about how he became so great because of friendship and because of the inspiration he received from great teammates and great coaches.

There is drama. There is emotion There is comedy. But the true brilliance of isn’t so much about the sport of basketball (and it is not all about Lebron). it is about how members of team—best friends— learned to play for each other no matter what.

The main characters are Coach Dru Joyce, his son Dru Joyce the 3rd, Willie, Lebron, and Sian. The four kids called themselves the “fab four” before adding one more, Romeo, late in high school. Eventually the unit must learn deal with one of them emerging as a national celebrity ( Lebron was by his junior year of high school). more than a game takes you from early childhood when their dreams of winning a national championship with their AAU team were just as big as before their last game—a national championship.

More than a game shines a human light on the idea of “celebrity.” After seeing this film, you’ll never see Lebron James the same way again. This movie was a two thumbs way up, 10 out of 10, an A, no matter if you are 9 or 99, you will love it.