OPENS APRIL 4, CERT 12A, 104 MINS
It looks like the most macho sporting arena in the world, but ultimately in the aggressive Hawaiian surf community it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy, just as long as you can keep your cool with 200 tonnes of water about to crash onto your head. Well that’s what Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) hopes as she trains for the ultimate surfing competition. Recovering her nerve after an accident that nearly drowned her, Anne Marie has a lot to prove. But life gets complicated when a fling with a pro-footballer turns serious and she has to choose between the highlife and the 20ft-high waves waiting for her.
The grungy authenticity, not to mention the hardcore pre-teen partying, suggests a chick-flick seen through the eyes of someone like Larry Clark. And this uncompromising edge is what makes this slight film so enjoyable. That and some exhilarating surfing footage. When the camera gets inside the wave, it’s like being flushed down a U-bend. In a good way, naturally.