By Eric Rosenberg
Story
It’s Saturday night, and Groove is on. An all-night underground rave
where kids converge at an abandoned San Francisco warehouse, this is
where they let it all loose, where anything can happen. Berkeley student
Colin plans to propose to girlfriend Harmony at Groove and asks
reluctant roomie David to join them. Once there, the scene intimidates
David, but after he takes ecstasy with his pals, hey, the kids are all
right.
Acting
A collection of unknowns one step above film school friends comprise the
cast of this ultra-low budget production, with the exception of a
woefully underused Rachel True (from "The Craft," the only recognizable
face). There is no thorough intro to this large collection of
characters, thus little empathy for them. Still, Hamish Linklater
(David) gives a nice performance as the identifiable amateur and Lola
Glaudini (as raver Leyla) shows true charisma and comfort in front of
the camera.
Direction
Though he starts off on shaky ground, first-time helmer Greg Harrison
does an excellent job capturing the energy and vibe of the underground
rave scene. The plot, on the other hand, is as memorable as your average
techno/trance single. What’s important here is the
vibe, and
Harrison delivers it with minimal conflict (given that your local
theater has great speakers), showing all aspects of the scene, from the
top secret warehouse location and orgiastic "chill room" to the
adrenaline rush of the dance floor and the superstar DJ’s point of view
(building the perfect mix).