Lost Its Focus

Rating: 5/10 (21 August 2015)

All of her life "Bliss Cavendar" (Ellen Page) has been pressured by her strong-willed mother to be a beauty pageant winner. She pretty much accepts this primarily because she doesn't really have any other options. Then one day she sees a roller derby game and suddenly knows what she wants to do and subsequently tries out for a team—and makes it. From then on she secretly devotes herself solely to the game and to her new boyfriend "Oliver" (Landon Pigg). Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that what starts out with good doses of comedy and action suddenly morphs into a drama (around the midway point) and it's at this time that the film lost its focus and cutting edge. Additionally, although Kristen Wigg (as "Maggie Mayhem") seemed to breathe some life into this movie, her comedic talents weren't utilized nearly enough. Same thing with Ari Graynor ("Eva Destruction"). In summation, this movie had some good potential but the director (Drew Barrymore) failed to take advantage of it and as a result I rate it as only average.