High-spirited and entertaining even for those who know nothing about the sport

Rating: 6/10 (20 August 2010)

Whip it might actually be more of a coming of age story than an actual sports film about roller derby. A young introverted woman played by Ellen Page is forced to participate in regional beauty pageants by her mother while working part-time at the Oint Joint (a diner) with her best friend. Early on, she goes secretly to a roller derby match and eventually decides to try out for a team which of course accepts her (or there would be no movie ;-). I found the movie, like the sport itself, was charming and appealing but rough around the edges. The introductions of the different players with their kooky names (Bloody Holly, Smashley Simpson, etc) were amusing although most were only nicknames with little or no personality. The Manson sisters (probably an homage to the Hanson brothers from Slapshot) were introduced and then mostly forgotten. I enjoyed the team camaraderie and high spirits. We get why such an activity could be empowering especially for shy women.
It doesn't matter if you know nothing about roller derby before watching it. They explain the basics and besides the winning or losing is secondary. I knew a little about the rules myself having watched an actual match and they took lots of creative liberties regarding penalties. The actual game is not as violent (although to be honest, nothing too extreme in this movie either) and most of the plays from the coach would be illegal. So it turns out, I would have enjoyed the movie more if I hadn't seen real roller derby before. On the other hand, seeing the movie beforehand might have given me the wrong impression about the sport. The playing shown on the screen is frankly not that spectacular or exciting. There's no real tension regarding the match progression. Seems to me it might be because the players from the main character's team were the actresses instead of actual pro players. Not necessarily a bad choice.
Mainly, we follow Ellen Page's character in her emancipation from her parents through her new circle of friends and first love. Despite the tattoos and attitude of some of the girls, it's really rather tame and politically correct. Even the "love" scene in a pool is more poetic than erotic, not even showing actual complete nudity. It reminds me that for the boys hoping for eye candy, the majority of the girls are not that sexy either in looks or outfits except perhaps for Eva Destruction and even then it's tasteful. The character progression of the main character Bliss is gradual and good. The mother/daughter relationship is also nice with a particularly well done dramatic scene on the floor of a kitchen. I think the one-on-one relationship moments between Bliss and various characters are the highlights. Comedy wise, the funny side comes mostly from the antics on the tracks (doesn't go over-the-top ridiculous) and the team players outside. Nothing laugh-out-loud funny but it made me smile a few times. Teenage girls and young women will probably love this film provided they have a little rebellious side to them. There is a satisfying feminist/girl power subtext here. Everyone else, including guys, will probably find it entertaining if they keep in mind that it's more of a dramatic comedy about one girl with a sports theme than a sports drama following a team. Films featuring a girls sports team are rather rare and fortunately Whip it is a pretty good one. Roller derby fans or players will cringe at some of the moves but like the film if they can get beyond that.
Rating : 6 out of 10 (good)