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Atl

2006, Movie, PG-13, 102 mins

Atl: Review

ATL
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Loosely based on the childhood experiences of producers Dallas Austin (DRUMLINE) and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins (of the rap/hip-hop trio TLC), this upbeat teen drama unfolds in Mechanicsville, a rough South Atlanta neighborhood where the Cascade roller rink provides restless teens with a place to hang out, show off and escape the sometimes harsh realities of their lives. Orphaned 17-year-old Rashad Swann (rapper Tip "T.I." Harris) is shouldering more responsibility than most high-school students. He and his 15-year-old brother, Ant (Evan Ross, son of Motown legend Diana Ross), live with their Uncle George (Mykelti Williamson), who never lets them forget that he kept them out of foster care and assumed their parents' mortgage. After school, Rashad and Ant "help" George clean offices, which actually means they clean while George trims his toenails at some unsuspecting cubicle-slave's desk. Smart, disciplined and serious, Rashad secretly dreams of becoming a comic-strip artist, but looking out for Ant, a restless, indifferent student who's dangerously vulnerable to the cash-and-flash posturing of local dealer Marcus (Antwan Andre Patton, Outkast's Big Boi), eats up much of his time and energy. Rashad lives for Sunday nights at Cascade, where he and his friends are stars in the firmament of the local skate scene. Loyal, good-natured Brooklyn (Albert Daniels) is the clown of the group, while ambitious Esquire (Jackie Long), who worked the system to get into an exclusive public school, works at the local country club and hopes to attend an Ivy League college. But the finances are daunting and he needs a stellar letter of recommendation from the kind of influential pillar of the community no one in his crowd knows. High-school dropout Teddy (Jason Weaver), who keeps quiet about his age but is clearly older than the others, lives with his mom and fits "grills" — gold and gem-studded dental caps — at a local strip mall. And then there's ghetto-fabulous roller girl New-New (Lauren London), the best thing that's happened to Rashad in years and not at all what she seems; for all her weaves and door-knocker earrings, she's actually the pampered daughter of wealthy businessman John Garnett (Keith David). Grittier than the sweetly nostalgic, '70s-era ROLL BOUNCE (2005), this character-driven ensemble piece has the same sense of optimism and pulses with contemporary hip-hop rhythms. The story is familiar, but terrific performances and a vivid sense of place elevate it above the average teen-oriented picture. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
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