|
Louder than a bomb
|
nate
Adam
- None of this prepares the viewer for the bomb that is Adam Gottlieb, whose first reading at the 20-minute mark, of a poem celebrating poetry, announces a promising new American talent. It's difficult to resist the comparison to Allen Ginsberg in Gottlieb's nearly breathless recitation, his use of incantation and rhythmic attack, and the sense of an epic unfolding before our ears.
Nova |
|
"The movie floats to another realm entirely when the cameras go into the home of Nova Venerable, a smart, eloquent, gorgeous girl whose love for her special-needs younger brother and their hardworking single mom is expressed in terms that sidestep the formulaic verbal and physical bombast of so many of her peers (and fellow slam poets, regardless of age). With an eye for detail and a willingness to speak softly, she steals the movie."
The Steinmenuats
"Headed by Lamar, an electrifying poet and exacting leader, the Steinmetz team goes through fits of inspiration and silliness with Lamar begging his teammates to write. The film seems to be rooting for Steinmetz as underdogs with a title to defend; yet their poetry elicits our respect. Lamar delivers a sophisticated and risky piece about gun violence, putting himself in the mind of a school shooter. As a team, Steinmetz delivers targeted and emotional social commentary with the piece "Counting Graves." Through this poem, these students wrest us into the mind of a teen grieving his mother and brother murdered in a drive-by intended for him. This piece, more than any other, embodies the purpose and possibilities of slam poetry and may be the best sequence in the film."