Rashad: Tip Harris
New-New: Lauren London
Anton "Ant" Swann: Evan Ross
John Garnett: Keith David
Esquire: Jackie Long
Brooklyn: Albert Daniels
Uncle George: Mykelti Williamson
Marcus: Antwan Andre Patton
Directed by: Chris Robinson
Release Date: March 31, 2006
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rated PG-13 for drug content, language, sexual material and some violence.
As a teenager, I often frequented the skating rink on Friday and Saturday nights. It was a good way to hang out with friends and meet girls. I didn't think that there was anything wrong with the fact that the chief location of ATL a skating rink. The problem with that is the fact that I stopped going to the skating rink as a hangout to scope the girls when I received my driver's license. These kids are about to embark on their futures out of high school, and they still go the skating rink? I realize that people of all ages still venture to the skating rinks, but come on. ATL strives to fly high, but it fails to ever get off the ground because in the end, it is just another "getting out of the ghetto" tale.
Rashad and his brother Anton (a.k.a Ant) have not had the easiest lives thus far. They currently live with their Uncle George. Rashad has been working part time, and is saving money. Anton watches Marcus, the local arrogant drug dealer, ride along in his shiny pickup truck, and he desperately wants that type of lifestyle. He starts dealing drugs, and even though Rashad offers him his own money to get him out of the ghetto, he continues on that path of danger. Rashad has 3 friends, Brooklyn, Esquire, and Teddy, each of whom has different goals. Esquire is the smart one of the bunch, and he needs a letter of recommendation to go to an Ivy League school. Esquire becomes friends with John Garnett, a millionaire at the local country club he works for. Brooklyn is the overweight buddy who can't seem to hold a steady job, and Teddy is the goofball who likes to install gold teeth. One thing they all have in common is getting together at the Cascade, which is the local skating rink. The group is preparing to win the big skating tournament coming up, but plans gradually start to change after Rashad starts a relationship with his newfound sweetheart New-New. Rashad has dreams of his own, but he lacks the confidence. With this new romance budding, his brother dealing drugs, and his friends traveling down various pathways, Rashad must soon come to grips with how he wants his life to pan out.
All the young actors here will be basically unknown to viewers. Their performances are similar to every other run of the mill teen film. ATL does include some veterans such as Mykelti Williamson and Keith David, but they don't offer anything outstanding either. One will not be moved, nor disgusted, by any depiction here. The only actor that stands out is Tip Harris as Rashad. Occasionally, he presents sparks of talent, but those sparks quickly fizzle out. Should I mention the low point? I happen to love the music of Outkast, but as an actor, Andre "Big Boi" Patton should stick to what he does best. As Marcus, he struggles with the recital of each and every line.
The film remains motionless from the first frame as the audience is subjected to what feels like and endless amount of voice-overs, freeze-frames, and even subtitles in some sort of language. What bothered me most was the fact that ATL had no concept of what direction it wanted to go. Multiple scenes were incredibly unnecessary such as watching Uncle George clip his nails, the short bombardment of people's teeth slapped with all sorts of gold, or the shots of each type of fountain drink. Director Chris Robinson has made a life for himself by creating music videos, and someone needs to let him know that what works on MTV does not crossover into the cinematic world. I was annoyed due to Robinson's constant obsession with extreme closeups of young girls' rear ends. In addition, one sequence reveals that the character of Marcus (played by Big Boi of Outkast) has a kennel full of pitbulls. In reality, Big Boi himself has a kennel full of pitbulls, and it is a shame to persistently see these misunderstood animals portrayed like a fashion statement.
For those who think I being too harsh on ATL, I urge you to look for The Wood from 1999. That is a story about four friends growing up, and instead of cluttering the film with bright lights, curvy females, and predictable outcomes, The Wood maintained a focus on humorous simplicity. ATL is a formulaic exercise with no motivation. The Wood chose to concentrate on the pleasures, anxiety, and risks of friendship. That film cared deeply for the characters, and it was incessantly touching and self-effacing.
This representation of the "thug life" has absolutely no profundity, and its lack of intensity and sluggish atmosphere further emits the unevenness. However, one cannot ignore the perfect illustration of the skating rink environment, which is blended with an energetic soundtrack supplied by two of films stars, Tip Harris and Big Boi. The music was always the most important part of a night at the rink, and this is clearly the biggest strength of ATL. One thing is for sure, director Chris Robinson wanted to instill viewers with the same "oomph" that is felt in his music videos. Despite this sporadic entertainment, ATL is still too boring to be memorable. Screenwriter Tina Gordon Chism adapted ATLfrom a story by Antwone Fisher, and while her characters have a small sense of appeal, Chris Robinson fails to complement that with anything compelling. Considering the few hints of originality and spirit, ATL is nothing but pretentious teen angst melodrama that has all the style, but no substance.
The 411: By the time we get to know Rashad and his friends, the plot feels too rushed. Everything felt very flat to me. The acting isn’t too terrible, but the direction is so immature. This is not the worst film of its kind, but it is certainly not the best, and you know what that means. It means that this film is not worth seeing. You could go rent Boyz in the Hood or The Wood if you require a need for this type entertainment.
