Emile nails it

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2005)

I've probably watched the Dogtown documentary (2002) at least 15 times. I wasn't expecting greatness from the feature film version, mainly because so much of the brilliance of the documentary comes from the raw charisma of the skaters themselves. Jay Adams and Tony Alva, in particular, are so intense that their personalities jump off the screen just in photographs. It's an amazing fact about the documentary that it tells their story mostly in still photos and still manages to capture their movement (both in the form of individual skating and as a collective cultural force).
The film Lords of Dogtown starts off a little shaky, with the actors seeming to be feeling out their roles with some awkward dialogue and stagy setups. But the movie started to win me over when I realized what a surprisingly decent job the actor Emile Hirsch was doing with the character of Jay Adams. This was the role that I thought would be impossible to fill-- Jay was the original, essential child of California in all his natural beauty, talent, and exceptionality. As one article in a skateboarding magazine put it, he has the "crazy gleam" in his eye that can't be replicated. When you see that gleam, you know you're dealing with someone whose craziness is genuine, not affected. And somehow Emile Hirsch pulls it off, with the perennially pursed lips and half-smile and cock-eyed hazel gaze and intense focus. He even got the voice right-- kind of breathy, quiet, slightly mocking, like it might equally be whispering a threat, a flirtation, or a wry piece of wisdom.
I loved the cameo by the real Jay Adams in the party scene at Jay's mom's house.
So the film went way beyond my expectations with Hirsch's performance. TA's representation, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. But Jay was the character they had to nail. So I give it an 8/10. Nice film, nice work. For really inspiring skate footage and thought-provoking interviews with the skaters themselves, check out the documentary.