great acting, excellent soundtrack, but the directing...

Rating: 8/10 (26 September 2009)

I'm not sure Drew Barrymore's figured out how to structure a movie. The editing felt jagged, which made the story feel undeveloped. On the other hand, Ellen Page was great, and so was Alia Shawkat. And this is really the story of one character: Bliss (Ellen Page). The acting carried the movie, with more than a little help from the music. And the roller derby action was fun to watch. Actually, those were the best-directed parts of the movie. It can be hard to direct sports action, but Barrymore was just fine in that department. If only she'd had help from a more experienced editor, I think this film would have gone from good to great.
Still, it was a fun night at the movies, and I got a free t-shirt (for the "sneak preview"). Even without the t-shirt, you should certainly go see it.