Groove (2000) Poster

(2000)

User Reviews

Review this title
77 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
8/10
Insightful
Foopy-24 August 2000
I've never been to a rave before, so I can't say anything about how realistic this film is.

I've also never used drugs before, but I really liked the way drug use was portrayed in the movie... One of the characters mentions that when it comes to drugs, it's best to be "baked not fried," which I interpreted as "using not abusing." The parallel threads we see evolve throughout the film observe people who don't use drugs at all, others who use them, and others who abuse them... All but the last case end up decidedly happy and content. But the film also remains very open minded and non-judgemental about the abusers; it refuses to condemn them, but rather it simply shows the results of what they do and allows the audience to form an opinion of these people on their own.

Another interesting theme I noticed was the fact that although raves are a great experience, there might be more to life than having a good time... One of the ravers explains how she has spent her entire life going to raves and has enjoyed herself, but somehow feels unsatisfied about what she's doing with her life. The idea that people must face fear in their lives in order to be content is presented, but a conclusion is never made, once again allowing the audience to use the film as "food for thought" and figure it out on their own terms.

The soundtrack to the film is great, as are the visuals... The movie has a very energetic feel to it that really made me want to be at a rave, even though I might not end up liking it.

If you want an interesting slice of American filmmaking and generational portraits from the 1950's, 70's, and 90's, I suggest consecutively viewing American Graffiti, Dazed and Confused, and this film. All of these films are done in a fairly similar style (following multiple story threads at the same time, being non-judgemental about the characters) and have a very feel-good atmosphere about them while still portraying the atmosphere, lifestyle, and challenges of a generation in a very interesting and entertaining way.
12 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Good movie
cofemug28 July 2000
This movie was pretty good, but it had some parts that I did not like. For instance, another comment, below me, said that a rave is not a time to reflect, and I agree. While it is a time to turn lose, and be yourself, you do not go through a whole, "as drunks call it, a moment of enlightenment"-pulp fiction. When you are rolling, you feel more like touching and feeling, like Colin, rather than talking and expressing. However, a good aspect is that the drugs played a big part in reluctant first-time ravers. It allowed them to leave their inhabitions at the door. Also, if you want a deeper film about the rave scene, check out "Be77er living through circuitry." It is a documentry with great music, visuals, and insight. For those who like fiction, and scripts, see this.

8/10
5 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
A simple film that will get you in the mood...
salibian25 May 2000
...to party, that is. Following the course of planning and putting together a rave in San Francisco, "Groove" definitely succeeds in capturing the atmosphere at such and event with humor and style.

There are a few storylines, the two principal ones being David's first venture into drugtaking at his first rave, and his brother Colin's night with and without his girlfriend Harmony. Hamish Linklater ("David") does a fine job of portraying the naive party-goer, and his reactions to the drug he takes are presented with comedy and precision.

The smaller storylines succeed as well, adding more comedy to the story. A few of them don't seem as necessary as others, but their inclusion balances the film.

At points, this film seems a bit contrived, as if it has been edited to fit that "teen-film" mold,(some of the conversations and scenarios are too "Dawson's Creek" for their own good) but all in all, by the end of it, I noticed myself leaning forward in my seat, tapping my feet, enjoying the music (which is excellent)and the mood. And any film that leaves me with a huge smile on my face as I leave the theater has my seal of approval.

This film is definitely worth seeing!
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
As good as you can get to being at a rave yourself
DrLenera4 October 2004
Groove has often been compared with Human Traffic, but both are actually quite different. While Human Traffic was about a group of people who go to clubs and take drugs, Groove is about an actual rave. Director Greg Harrison is less interested about depicting the lives of the people who go to a rave than trying to cinematic ally get his audience to experience what a rave is like.

On that level, Groove is a triumph. For those who used to rave, this film is the best flashback you'll ever get, the best way to relive the experience. For those who currently rave, it will make you want to go out and find a party NOW. For those who have never raved, the film brilliantly shows the sight and sounds of a rave while trying to be like a rave itself through careful pacing and use of music.

The characters are thinly sketched in the early scenes but that's all we need, it's what they are and do at the rave that matters ,with the exception of the squabbling gay couple who may not make it to the party at all and are hilarious. The growing attraction between experienced 'partied out' girl and dorky novice is touching, and all the characters in the film have at least one stand out moment. Performances are generally strong, and some of the use of sound is superb, such as when the main protagonist is 'coming up'.

The film has been criticized for being pro drugs, but it just shows the drug {especially E}experience in it's various forms. Some characters abstain, some overdo it and pay the price {though like Human Traffic there are refreshingly no deaths or serious fatalities}, most just enjoy themselves. The film is not saying drugs are good for you, it's just saying that drugs are something many people do, and maybe not because that are addicted, but because to them it's fun!

The music is excellent, varied and well chosen. The appearance by a certain superstar DJ at this small rave of around 200 people has been rightly called unrealistic, and lets just say that acting is not his strong point! However comments that parties never start up again after they are shut down {as in this film}are untrue, I experienced it! In any case, it climaxes the film on a true 'high'.

The many shots of people dancing may bore some, and there will be many for whom this film will have no interest at all. But ignore some of the hardcore purists, this is as close to a depiction, and more importantly the experience, of a rave as cinema can probably get.
27 out of 29 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Thought this movie was a fair depiction...
PETROKOVITCH10 July 2001
As far as "Rave Movies" go, there haven't been many of them....I thought this was a fair depiction of a rave...I was in the rave scene in Washington, D.C. for a bit.....while there was a wide use of drug use, believe me, you do not have to do them to have a good time at a rave. The music alone, if performed by good DJ's, will get you high as a kite. The music in this movie was really good. The interaction between the people at the party is on target. Good to see Digweed and Polywog...$2.00 for Digweed...they must be on drugs...All in all, pretty good movie. It was funny to see the interaction of the gay couple in the Beetle. Enjoy...I did.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Outstanding, magnificent soundtrack, great visualization
matlock-67 May 2001
This is probably the closest you can come to experiencing a real rave without actually attending one. I can't understand user comments about poor acting, as I felt that everyone did a very good job here. The story centers around a group of people looking to have a harmless good time, with a number of side-characters. The rave organizer story is great, and the gay couple who can't find where the happening is is absolutely hilarious. The strongest part of the film is the magnificent soundtrack, and appearances by some of the best (and most underappreciated) DJ's around, John Digweed, Pollywog, etc. If you're at all into techno/rave music, just rent this for the great tunes. And you might find that you also enjoy the storyline.
10 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Groove...
spannungsbogen6 December 2000
Despite the fact that im a pur Kandyraver and i do rave really often, the movie isnt close to the genius of "Go". It as a simple story line with no clues about whats coming up... the music is gay as digweed is... he really is, no joke. Anyway, it's a good movie about the rave scene... but as i said... it's style NOT a rave as they really are... pills love my ass, they will break up soon enough...
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Hysterically awful - 3 stars for unintentional comedy value
andrew_wilbur19 January 2006
Unlikable wooden characters deliver poorly scripted lines at an unrealistic warehouse party. Hilarity ensues. Yes, Harrison may have tried to encapsulate the rave scene in meticulous detail, but anyone who thinks he's actually succeeded in this is overlooking the most glaringly obvious element of fantasy in the whole film: John "£3,000 per hour" Digweed playing at an illegal warehouse party for free? What a joke. Speaking of Mr. Digweed, did anyone else notice how uncomfortable he looked throughout the film, and how he couldn't keep a straight face when delivering his first cringeworthy line? Also uproarious - The pseudo-scientific 'jargon' released by the token 'smart guy' through which we are meant to be impressed with Harrison's erudition, and the painful 'literary' conversation that they have in the Chill Room, which amounts to nothing more than flagrant name dropping without a trace of substance to make it credible. Has Harrison even read Kerouac, Burroughs and Hemingway? Probably not, if Groove is a product of his love affair with the printed word.

You can imagine someone - even yourself, probably - being bludgeoned by narcotic stupidity and thinking it would be an awesome idea to make a movie in which each plot segment was defined by a different DJ set. But then the drugs would wear off and you'd feel embarrassed for conceiving an idea so excruciatingly prone to cliché. You wouldn't actually turn it into a film. But someone did.

You've got to see this. It is tremendously entertaining, but not in the way intended by the screenwriter/director. It's a veritable masterclass on transforming bad ideas into an embarrassingly dire product.
4 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
This was an excellent show of the rave party scene.
vampyrecowboy27 March 2005
This film was verrrry well done. To those that say it wasn't...I guess you have never owned a club where raves took place. I did.

I bought this movie in a stack of films and it only cost me 99 cents. Well shock the pants off me.

What I thought would be a lame party and just a bunch of stoners walking around talking trash was certainly an enlightenment.

GROOVE is EXACTLY what a rave is about...and how would I know? I know because I hosted them myself...packed to the hilt in Vancouver B.C. at PLANET X...and you could guess what the X stood for.

Anywayz, this is very well done in terms of casting, lighting performance, music, tone and everything.

The scene that struck me most is when Ernie says this...and this is classic to me.

Guy: Why do you do this to yourself? Don't even get paid, risk getting arrested, for what? Ernie: You don't know? Guy: No. Ernie: The Nod. Guy: The Nod? Ernie: Happens to me at least once every party. Some guy comes up to me and says "Thank you for making this happen... I needed this. This really meant something to me." And they nod... and I nod back. Guy: ... That's it? Ernie: That's it.

That little piece of dialogue is everything...it's what made me want to run the rave at PLANET X, even thought I was't making big bucks...to me it was the NOD...

So I know exactly where Ernie was coming from...and I felt the director Greg Harrison was getting to.

Watch Groove and relive your youth before it slips away from you in your daily 9-5 and rush hour traffic.

I only wish I was at the club...because it was so intense and so real...and made me so jealous that I was only watching it on my TV screen.

With a $500000 budget, this is tops.

Once again, everybody...extras and all cast included...an awesome job and one very satisfied viewer...certainly worth my time.
23 out of 26 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
fun fun fun
darost10 April 2009
After this movie, I listened to Digweed, and I listened to Sasha, and I listed to Digweed and Sasha, and I subscribe to Transitions on iPod and I totally dig Digweed. What's to get upset abt? Music sweet music... Gotta have ten lines, so at the risk of repeating myself...I enjoyed the music, I thought I saw some female humans in it, and as I like girls a lot, that made me very happy (okay, I'm a dirty old man, but I come from a long line of dirty old men), and the music was fun, the atmosphere was not like when I was that age but it was also not so unlike, just different, but it's still people, there's still a beat, people still care and love, I enjoyed it and hope to see (AND HEAR) it again.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
Hands Down the Worst movie EVER
mattbauer21 September 2001
The terms "best" and "worst" are bandied about ironically so often that they are meaningless. I have never committed to the absolute "best" or "worst" of anything until recently. After experiencing Brad Harrison's Groove, there is with out a doubt a champion.

My interest in the film sparked from both the high praise at Sundance and my background in the early rave scene. The terribly amusing promotional shots of a raver holding a discoball while riding the subway didn't hurt, either. After finally seeing the thoughtful, entertaining Human Traffic, I was ready for an American rave film. What I got was a sloppy hour-and-a-half episode of Mtv's Undressed.

Although the details of Groove are a bit hazy to me - I saw it a little over a year ago - this doesn't mean much as the details of Groove are hazy to those involved with its production. The script is sloppy, filled with one-dimensional cliches with disco-dancin' legs. We have the uptight nerd; the hot (yet clear-headed) chick; the wacky, offbeat druggies; the sleazy dealer; the oh-so-nice hippie, susceptible for a double-cross. I suspect that first-time writer/director Greg Harrison used The Big Book of Cliched Dialogue to write most of the characters' verbage. For example, as a camera slow closes in on the serious face of a lead character, he says, with true conviction, "It's not over 'til the last record spins."

Much like Human Traffic, the film never makes a definitive message about drug usage (which plays a large part in both films). But Justin Kerrigan's film closes allowing the viewer to draw his/her own conclusion. The only use narcotics play in Groove is to show that, yes, Harrison understands that drugs are used at raves. No overt stances is ever solidified about drugs. Technically, the film is deeply flawed as well. The "actors" sound as if they are monotonously reading lines. In many of the scenes, it is obvious that this supposed "rave" consists of about twenty extras in a warehouse. Despite this fact, I will give Harrison credit for shooting a film that LOOKS mid-priced. But why would you purchase a pretty car whose insides are damaged beyond repair?

After spending $8 to see Groove - and bringing two friends, causing me to turn a deep shade of red out of embarrassment for my choice - I was in a rage. I immediately ran home to gather more information about the film. Why do people enjoy this? Why was it a hit at Sundance? It seems that people like Groove solely because it is about something they are a part of: rave culture. I want to remind viewers that just because a cereal box champions your favourite sports player doesn't mean the contents are delicious. I read a review that stated, 'yes, the film is flawed, but we have so few movies about raves that it will do. Three stars!' This is a very unprofessional attitude. A truly discerning critic would rather eat no eggs at all than rotten ones.

Recently, I argued with a friend that almost every film has its redeeming qualities. A good example, I told him, is Mac & Me, a mid-80s E.T. ripoff about a wheelchair-bound boy and a rubber alien puppet. It is so cluelessly flawed it's great! The kid can't act (only hired because of his disability?), the "FX" are cheaply done, and (for Christ's sake) SEARS is featured prominently. You have to love that. However, if one film has no redeeming qualities; if one film's only effect is of wasting time; if one film exists only to steal your soul, your creativity, and any drive or ambition you have ever had for life, it is Brad Harrison's Groove.

(I have NEVER given this score to ANYthing in life:) 1/10
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Just a Really Good Vibe
Quicksand21 July 2000
This movie was entirely too much fun.

In many ways, it reminded me of "Dazed & Confused," or "Go," but it was done so much better, both in characters, character development, and the best ending of all three films.

The movie is about a Rave, pure and simple, in modern day San Francisco. The characters are real, the acting is really surprisingly good, and the cultural statements are just beautiful. I do believe this marks the first film appearance of Red Bull energy drink.

The movie itself is like a rave. Loud, by in a flash, and you find yourself wishing you could just say good-night to all the characters one more time before the evening is over. But then it is, and you're left with just a really good vibe.

This movie was just a really good vibe. See it with a bunch of friends, and get your groove on.
21 out of 29 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Sure Got Mine On!
frankwhat1 December 2004
A very cute little tale of the Southern California underworld action going on up in this film. This isn't one to watch if you're looking for an Oscar flick in the making but if your goal is too zone out with something entertaining for just a little over an hour then look no further! Some ravers complain that it wasn't accurate enough but think about it, I mean real shady stuff goes down at these parties and if they were to show it exactly as it is then the movie would be rated NC-17 at the least. The music was great and I thought it was neat how they had real life DJ's make some cameos. The multiple sub-plots made it interesting to follow because it switched between a couple of groups and I liked it since even though it did this I didn't find it confusing at all. The only flaw I really found was the acting tended to be a little weak but a handful actually did okay. I also thought the movie was too short and they definitely could've extended it to two hours and still have demanded my attention but with the low-budget they had it's to be expected. It got my mind off things for awhile and I enjoyed it.

Final Dance:

Movies: I wouldn't mind going if only to hear it on the gigantic speakers.

DVD Purchase: Will have to think about this for a little bit...but is a strong possibility.

Rental: I already want to watch it again!
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Groove simply wanted to be about a rave, but it wasn't even that
DjTj25 July 2000
I went to this movie expecting a nice look into the rave culture - the music, the drugs, and the dancing that characterize a rave and are the reason people go. Unfortunately, I found a movie that got horribly sidetracked. Instead of being about a rave, it was about this group of people - of 5, 10, 15...too many people - and too many horrible actors trying to be these people. I hesitate to use the word "characters" because since not one of them was developed at all, I can only call them people.

All the conversation in the movie was trite musing about myriad grand themes that should not have been the purpose of the movie. This should have been a movie about a rave - people should have talked about the music, the drugs, and the atmosphere. They should have danced and tripped and rolled - a rave is not a place you go to make a lifelong friend - its a place you go to separate yourself from reality...to meet people you will see again only at another rave, but each time you see them, to connect on a deeper level. A rave isn't a holy experience nor a time to reflect upon the meaning of one's existence - it is an escape - one thing this movie failed to grasp completely.
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Not outstanding, but definitely good
edwie10 February 2004
I watched this movie because of a trailer I watched on HBO. Never heard of it before, but it seemed interesting.

Point is, I loved it to the point of even recording it and recommending it to my friends. I was in the rave scene during the mid 90's, when the likes of Scooter, Faithless, Robert Miles, Mark 'Oh and many others were at their peak.

I truly enjoyed this movie and felt I was there the whole night. This movie is definitely not meant for anyone, much less for those who still don't understand what indie films are about. This was certainly not Arakki or Aranofsky, but I have to commend director Greg Harrison for this piece of work.

This movie starts with the sound of a modem connecting to the internet... sooooo 1998! It was funny. Then you see all these fast stories about weirdos and their lives.

The plot was definitely secondary in this movie. I could not care less about Leyla, or Colin, or whoever... But I guess that wasn't exactly the point.

Although the party was somewhat different from what I used to go to, its structure was basically the same: Clandestine party, where you need maps and bribe a few guys to know exactly where you're going; the different levels of music throughout the night, from slow-beat clubhouse to orgasmic trance; the amount of drugs, the doped people, the escape from it all.

There were pointless scenes, like those gay guys trying to get to the party (there was already a gay moment between Colin and that masseuse guy.. poor Harmony!). I recognized Rachel True, the gorgeous girl from "The Craft", I had no idea she was on this.

I agree with the one who commented that John Digweed would never play in a party like this.. Actually I laughed when he made his cameo... So what was next? Tiesto? Johan Gielen? Paul Oakenfold?

This movie was also a reflect of how these parties were about 5-10 years ago. Yes, the electronic scene has become much more commercial, specially in Holland and Belgium. I guess that it's not so special to me anymore, now that virtually everyone has discovered it.

And yes, once the party got busted, there's no way they would have gotten away with starting it again!

When the party is over, the movie is over, leaving the viewer with the SAME FEELING most ravers had when leaving... "Now what?" After an amazing night of "everything", you have to realize that it's all over and life must goes on... at least for most of us.
29 out of 34 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
You don't have to rave to get this, but it helps
JZvezda28 February 2003
Like "Rave" the hairspray, "Groove" is cheap and tacky --but it works.

Premise: A night in the life of not-so-creepy club crawlers.

Plot-points: --Boy meets girl-- An unrealistic, unbelievable story of the veteran raver "Leyla" teaching the ropes to the novice/party nerd "David" (Hamish Linklater). In reality, it would probably take someone higher up the genetics food chain, to get a babe like Lola Glaudini to spend her nite nursing an ecstasy-stupored dork back to coherency. Especially considering the fact that Leyla is sober during the event, and I can't think of too many sober club-goers willing to sit and listen to a drug-addled mess of a stranger spout jibberish. But whatever.

--Boy proposes to girl, then meets boy-- Colin & Harmony, the quintessential club kid couple. He helps her dye her hair purple and she paints his fingernails black. Ahhh, to be in love. Enter creepy massage guy. I'm sure that a great number of straight female ravers can relate to this storyline.

--Boy desperately seeking "the nod"-- The perils of party throwing 101:

* How to decorate an abandoned warehouse

* What to do when one of your DJ's is M.I.A. (too whacked out to spin)

* The boys in blue are here, now what?

That's basically it in a neon nutshell. First-time director Greg Harrison's ode to party people, a film that probably should have skipped the soapy storylines and reinvented itself as a documentary.

There are some cute in-jokes though: A raveboy becomes ill after over-dosing on the drug GHB, his friend nurses him and after concluding that he'll be okay, she says: "What are you, *new*? EAT before you do drugs." Cute.

"Groove" is that party that isn't really all that happening, but not buzz-kill bad either. Once you make it past the lumberyard acting and surrender to the idea that music and dancing are some people's idea of doubles tennis or a night at the opera... you may see this movie for what it is: A simple, colorful, shout-out to club kids everywhere.

"Groove" Not a party for the ages but well worth the cover charge
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
This is the movie ravers wished "GO" was.
decker7615 June 2000
Lemme start by saying that if you are not part of the rave scene/culture, then don't bother wasting your time with this movie because you just won't get it. With that said, lemme just say that if you ARE a part of it, then get ready for "our" movie. Bad/Sub-par acting aside, this movie is the closest thing you'll get to condensing the rave-experience into an hour and a half, from packing up your gear to that "I can't believe it's morning already"-feeling. Yes, there are drugs in the movie, but it shows the good, the bad, and all areas in between. More importantly, I think that the movie emphasizes responsible drug use (which I know I'll probably get flak for saying) although not all characters in the film are high to have a good time. The characters were all (except for one) likeable, and I don't know about you, but I've known someone like each of them in the movie. Raves are not about drugs, they are about reminding you why you are alive, and that sense of community. This movie perfectly captured that feeling without bashing you over the head with it. One last thing, make sure you watch the beginning because (I think) the best part in the film is at the beginning in the laundromat. Those of you who have seen it will know what I mean and if you haven't felt that way before, then...oh well. Groove's tag is "Are you feeling it?" My answer? "Oh yeah...so when's the after-party?"
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Worth a watch
MyDarkStar10 March 2002
If for no other reason, this movie is worth watching simply because it has a couple of moments in it that manage to capture the positive vibe of a really good rave. Examples of this are a girl stopping everyone in the chill room and saying "Ok, has anyone seen a stuffed animal in here?"...or a guy offering a sip of his bottled water to a dancing girl he doesn't know, who takes the water in stride, sips it, hands it back, and continues to dance without skipping a beat.

Those are the little kind of things that go on at raves that would make them fun. People just don't act like that around strangers normally...but at a rave things are different, and people seem to lower their shields to the rest of the world.

There's other examples in this movie which illustrate special aspects to the rave world. But, to me it's the little things in this movie that are special. That's because they are things that aren't too cliche', and you would forget about them if someone weren't to remind you of them.

Don't compare it to "Go". "Go" isn't about a "rave". It is about events that take place in one night that happen to include going to a rave for one little shred of the movie. This movie revolves around the event itself - in the dance floor, the chill room, and behind the scenes.

Cute movie.
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Still hasn't got the vibe
davidallenxyz17 December 2001
Rave movies eh?

Pretty hard to get right, by all accounts.

"Go" managed it, but then again, that was about much more than just a night out. "Human Traffic" managed it as well, apparently, but I haven't seen it.

So what does Groove manage?

Watching it, i was mainly reminded of Whit Stillman's "The Last Day's of Disco" - intelligent twenty-somethings discuss life in a nightclub, which is eerily silent off the dancefloor.

Much the same with this - except none of the side-stories has any depth to it (youngster in relationship trouble, older guy realises he's wasted his life by not dropping a pill before etc., etc.).

Some dodgy performances too, especially from the guest "Superstar DJ".

And funnily enough, although not surprising from an american movie, the subtext was quite anti-drug.

At least i can say the soundtrack made we want to go to a club - but only to prove it couldn't be as dull as "Groove".
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Groove is the best rave movie EVER
everso-316 May 2007
The comment below me couldn't be more wrong about rolling and talking and expressing yourself. I have been rolling for 7 years now...and I have expressed myself very fully while doing it. There are moments when I don't even feel like touching and feeling and blah blah blah...there are moments I would rather sit and talk then touch and feel. A rave is a great time to reflect, if you can find a quiet enough spot to do it in...yes that is difficult at times at parties, but it is possible. The below comment is so wrong it insulted me. I wasn't even a member of this site, I registered specifically to make sure that people know not to listen to the foolish comment below. That person is WRONG. I have reflected a lot at raves in the past 6 years that I have been in the scene, I have talked and expressed myself more than I can even say in the 7 years that I have been doing E. This movie is the BEST depiction of a rave, ever. It makes you feel like you're there, the end is better than any other rave movie I have ever seen (GO pretty much sucked) and um...yea, I love Groove because of the way it truthfully depicts not only the scene, but the feelings involved in the scene and in rolling. This movie is TRUE. Period.
6 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Not so funny but really fun
allmyfavoritebands6 March 2005
This wasn't the movie I thought it was going to be. Looking back, I thought this was going to be a 24 Hour Pary People type of movie, but instead it traces all the emotions and craziness of many different characters as they all get together for one San Francisco night rave. This is a totally different rave scene than most people would imagine as it's the "run from the cops" type of party rather than the typical Ibiza dance / rave / event.

While not all the characters or acting are strong, the film keeps a solid momentum from beginning to end, portraying the "modern" circa 2000 dance scene in San Francisco.

I only wish they had a scene with the rave kid sitting on the subway with the disco ball!
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Wow. Skip it, see Human Traffic instead.
Dean-675 August 2002
This was hailed as a fictional documentary of a night in the rave/party scene. The party sequences are fun, but if you have no experience with raves, the best parts of the movie are somewhat missed. If you do have experience with raves, I feel that Human Traffic is a better movie.

My main gripe with this movie is the fast-paced character development doesn't really leave you caring about the characters; other than that, the movie is good enough to hold interest.
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Finally, a portrayal of US rave culture based in reality
DanP28 May 2001
Too often the story of 'raves' are told by people far removed from them. This movie finally demonstrates a filmmaker has taken the time to look at the US rave scene before attempting to describe it to a mass audience. The movie and the filmmaker both succeed splendidly.

The movie is a series of vignettes piecing together the background and experience of the variety of people involved in a rave. The character's stories all start the day of the party and end in its afterglow. As each character threads through the film they develop unique and interlaced stories with ultimately good or bad outcomes. No effort is made to candy coat what happens at the parties, but likewise the spiritual and emotional dimensions of these events are finally given play.

Watching the story develop I could relate to each actors persona. Where most modern films build up bigger than life characters that test my suspension of disbelief this movie has a set of characters I can relate to. The characters are people who would work in my office, live in my apartment building or pass me on the street any given day. Each characters possesses an anima or soul you can recognize in your circle of friends. You connect to the characters and eventually experience this night vicariously through their actions.

This is a slice of life movie, a slice of life that I would want to live.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
What?
podz-128 February 2001
Whatever happened to good acting, engaging storylines, believable characters, believable depiction of events such as E use or delicate music induced state of epiphany...? This is the most hackneyed useless should be an episode (at best) of Dawson's Creek film I've ever seen.... why I'm wasting my time writing this, I don't know.... perhaps for the sublime music....
1 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
i have been there
iainwatson3 December 2001
Just seen 'Groove' for the first time on pay-per-view, after forgetting that it was even made... just remembered about it after seeing it in the cable guide tonight.

Holy crap - they certainly did their homework. I have been in almost every one of the situations in the film at least once over the past 9 years (i've been doing this way too long). Trying to find parties @ 4am, inviting everyone in a club back to my folks house for breakfast, overdoing it too much and becoming comatose, thanking promoters for the "best party ever", sponging tunes of big name DJs, losing it on the dancefloor. Without a doubt the most accurate Rave film I've seen so far (not that there's many too choose from of course).

Some observations - I am the male version of Leyla, too much Trance, US candy kids are hilarious, I recongised Brian B from Hyperreal spinning in the chill room and was like "I'm sure I've seen that guy before" then got it confirmed in the credits, the Asian DJ kid is hilarious at the end, Digweed can't act for toffee.
11 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed