Dancing with Gravity
Ski to the Max
Review by Ross Anthony

Thrilling visuals, ridiculous story, little to no educational value ... I loved it!

A low flying aerial shot finds some active minded drivers waiting for a light to change from red to green (it takes the length of the film). In the meanwhile, we benefit from fertile extreme daydreaming.

Aspen, atop a pure white peak, no tracks, no lifts, virgin snow. One male, one female ski like angels, floating from the top of this snow-white world. Watch them glide over rocks, a frozen waterfall, the cinematographer films side by side, sliding down the mountain. As if that wasn't sweet enough, the sun sets into darkness, the skiers light their way with only a torch in each hand. The orange glow breaking the darkness - weaving between trees. Simply poetic.

Cut to dirt bikers racing though the desert on one wheel each, a station wagon behind, a biplane above. The bikes race into the sky with only a few good jumps, then join the driver of the car across a lake while water-skiers flip across speedboat wakes. The car takes to the frozen mountaintops in time to catch a group of grunge snowboarders and a guy on a bicycle race down a bobsled groove.

These young enjoyers of gravity bombard an innocent ski lodge ... landing on the roof, then skiing directly through, steps, railings, windows, whatever. Their recklessness exactly balanced with their skill. That is the edge.

Fun and exciting experimentation capture these gliders on film. One shot "freezes" twisting/turning airborne skiers, the splattered snow gets another chance to fall to the ground. Then one medium shot finds a string of ten or so skiers bopping up and down a sequence of small ramps - they look like pistons popping in an eight-cylinder engine.

From silly, to dangerous, to breathtaking, to simple beautiful; "Ski to the Max" is very good (albeit mindless) big screen entertainment.



  • Ski to the Max. Copyright © 2001.
  • Starring John Eaves, Pink.
  • Directed by Willy Bogner (an Olympic skier himself).



Grade..........................A



Copyright © 2001. Ross Anthony, currently based in Los Angeles, has scripted and shot documentaries, music videos, and shorts in 35 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more reviews visit: RossAnthony.com


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Last Modified: Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 07:53:54 PDT