Official Synopsis:
Sometimes 17-year-old Rashad and his pals hang out at the Waffle House, trying to figure out what's next after they graduate. But on Sunday nights, they know what's coming. They'll be at the Cascade roller rink: laying down moves, chillin' with friends...and for a few hours leaving what's outside outside. Loosely based on the experiences of producers Dallas Austin (Drumline) and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins (lead singer of TLC) while growing up on Atlanta's south side, ATL is a Sunday night fever of laughs, drama and crunk sounds. Video director Chris Robinson makes his feature debut, guiding an ensemble that includes astonishingly natural movie newcomers Tip Harris (aka rapper T.I.), Lauren London and Antwan Andre Patton (aka Big Boi of the duo OutKast). Everyone's rollin' tonight. See you at Cascade.
Our Take:
It's been a long time since I've seen a movie that gave me reactions as mixed as I had to ATL. On the plus side, the film looks and sounds fantastic; first-time film director (and music video alum) Chris Robinson has a good eye that shows on screen. The colors pop, the cinematography is surprisingly good, and the soundtrack doesn't miss a beat. With that said, though, I was about halfway through the film before I had any idea what the heck it's about. It's got a weak narrative structure with an inordinate amount of characters that doesn't come across as confusing as much as it does meandering; I kept waiting for the film to go somewhere. Luckily, it eventually does.
There are some things I liked about ATL, though. I give the filmmakers credit for presenting an urban drama that, aside from one minor incident, doesn't devolve into violence and bloodshed to resolve its problems. The film also has a quirky sense of humor; present more in things like visuals, title cards, and subtitles than dialogue, but it's present nonetheless. I should also mention that rappers T.I. and Big Boi (from Outkast) both turn in very strong performances. It's really more the pacing and structure of the film that I had problems with than the individual aspects of it.
The DVD release for ATL is a little light on the extra features, but it does include one or two substantial goodies.
* In The Rink: A Director's Journey (29 minutes) - A pretty in-depth feature that looks both at the making of the film and life in the ATL. Features interviews with cast and crew, as well as Dallas Austin and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, who the story is loosely based on.
* Music Video - "What You Know" by T.I.
* Deleted Scenes - A collection of excised material running about five minutes total.
While I can't say I ever really got wrapped up in ATL, I do think that director Chris Robinson shows a lot of promise. He clearly has an eye for talent and visuals, and I'll be interested to see what he does in the future. For now, though, ATL is worth checking out if urban drama is your thing.
Overall Picture:
Movie: C+
DVD: B-
- Mike Spring
Editor
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