Movie Review: ATL

ATL is a movie that will surprise you. Like its characters, ATL will show you that what you see is not always what lies beneath the surface.

The movie takes place in Atlanta, Georgia (hence ATL) and follows Rashad (Tip “T.I.” Harris) a 17-year-old who, after the death of his parents, has to take care of his little brother Ant (Evan Ross). They live with their Uncle George (Mykelti Williamson) who is in his forties, but acts younger than both boys. Rashad’s three friends are a motley crew of misfits: Esquire (Jackie Long) who goes to a private school, wants to go to an Ivy League, but lives on the wrong side of town; Brooklyn (Albert Daniels) who is originally from New York and can’t seem to keep a job; and finally, Teddy (Jason Weaver) who just wants to graduate high school and get a girlfriend.

The four friends hang out at the Waffle House or at Cascade, the skating rink where they are the skate champions. It’s there that they see New New (Lauren London), a girl who no one seems to know anything about, and who takes a liking to Rashad. While Rashad spends time with New New, and his boys spend time trying to prepare for the upcoming skating tournament, Ant falls prey to a local drug king pin Marcus (Antwan Andre Patton aka Big Boi of Outkast).

ATL, which was written by Antwone Fisher, is loosely based on the childhood of producer Dallas Austin and singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (of TLC). It is also music video director Chris Robinson’s first full-length feature. Unlike other music video directors (whose attempts at longer movies end up being two-hour long music videos), Robinson makes the jump smoothly. His use of imaginative POV shots, humorous flashbacks, and inter-spliced words on film make the movie not only more interesting, but also show off his creative vision in making the story work.

Article Author: Miss Hipstah

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