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(Bear with me, Im going somewhere with this.)
The austere style, the oblique plotting, the understated performances this isnt exactlyMean Streetswere talking about here.
The dynamic between Stevie and his older brother is a complicated one.
The kid seems like he might break into tears at any moment.
(Later, he does.)
Meanwhile, Stevie looks to sneak into Ians room whenever he can.
Its a well-organized oasis of hats, sneakers, CDs, posters a dream vision of growing up cool.
This is a community where hardness is everything, which perhaps the world outside as well.
Dont fucking thank people.
Theyll think youre gay.)
Anyway, all that constitutes the good news.
These skaters dont really come through as three-dimensional people.
But characters need more than traits.
We may wonder why exactly were watching these people.
Its a hang-out movie, but were never entirely sure why were hanging out with any of these people.
In part, this might be because Stevie himself so rarely comes into focus.
That, at least, is somewhat understandable.
Hes still a child, still in the process of becoming, looking for an identity.
Is that a knock?
Maybe, maybe not.
Hill may not yet have the chops to pull off that level of formalism.
