>>REVIEW
GRIDIRON GANG
STARRING Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Xzibit,
DIRECTED BY Phil Joanou
Opens Friday, September 15
Check listings
A gritty look at the lives of youth in gang-ridden Los Angeles neighbourhoods, and how one man helped to change their once-bleak fates, Gridiron Gang defies the "based-on-a-true-story" sports movie clichés. Director Phil Joanou, along with producer Lee Stanley (who directed and produced a documentary about the real Gridiron Gang back in 1993), stays true to the story and spirit of this incredible, and true, tale, without getting cheesy.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson takes on the dramatic role of Sean Porter, a Los Angeles juvenile detention camp probation officer who tries to whip a bunch of teenage felons into shape. Johnson’s acting is fierce, and he lights up the screen with his unbridled passion. Rapper Xzibit plays the role of Malcolm Moore, Porter’s right-hand man, with a humble, but significant supporting performance.
Joanou does a wonderful job portraying the harsh reality of life on the streets in a real and sincere way. No offensive rap music, no over-the-top dramatic scenes, just the brutal truth. The odds are against these boys – 75 per cent of them will end up back in jail or dead. To deal with the disturbed criminal youths, and because conventional methods fall short of working, Porter gets inventive, convincing the powers that be to let him start up a football team.
Turning a group of troubled teens into a functioning and thriving football team is no easy feat and Porter puts his heart and soul into building confidence, for both the individual players and the team as a unit. Using tough love to win the boys over, Porter slowly helps to develop a sense of camaraderie amongst the teammates, making kids who have felt like losers for the whole of their short lives, feel a sense of pride, achievement and self-worth. The gang rivalries that would have had the teens shooting at each other in the streets are drowned out by the friendship that exists between teammates on the football field.
A touching, emotional and tough film to watch, Gridiron Gang has all of the ingredients of a feel-good movie. |
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