By Emilio Frenk
Director: Justin Tipping
Cast: Jahking Gullory, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Christopher Meyer, Kofi Siriboe and Mahersala Ali.
Rating: Good.
Young filmmaker makes his debut with “Kicks” a movie that had a succesful reception in this year’s edition of the“Tribeca Film Festival” in New York and it was a very interesting concept.
“Kicks” tells the story of Brandon (Jahking Gullory) a 15 year old kid from the East Bay in California who hangs out with his two closests friends Albert (Christopher Jordan Wallace) and Rico (Christopher Meyer).
Brandon has always dreamed of having a pair of Air Jordan’s but due to his condition and status he cannot afford them. One day everything will change for Brandon when he gets to buy a pair of Air Jordan’s, which are the most desirable pair of shoes.
Brandon is happier than ever but his happiness will be short after Flaco (Kofi Siriboe) a local gangster and his gang friends steal his brand new shoes.
This action will infuriate Brandon who asks for their help of his friends to retrieve the shoes which will lead them to a dangerous mission to Oakland.
The thing that I loved of “Kicks” was the fact that illustrates how the underground world in Oakland andthe East Bay as well.
Justin Tipping did a great job on showing us that world which we know is dangerous and frightning and it was very well told from Brandon’s point of view.
It´s a very hard movie to watch but at the same time it´s real. The movie doesn’t have an all star cast but it has truth in it and a very interesting premise.
The only thing that I was not convinced was the performance of most of the cast of the film and the ending could have been a better one and there were elements that they weren’t needed.
Overall the movie did deliver the goods in both directing and writing. The fact that Tipping got involved in what happens in Oakland and East Bay was very daring and brave from him and I assure you that this kid has a bright future in film.
“Kicks” is one of the surprises in Indepent Film and of 2016 and I give a high recommendation for it´s directing and storytelling.