Off the Line, directed by Samuel L. Pierce, is a drama that shows us a glimpse into the life of NSC (National Speed Skating Circuit) competitor, Mark Stevenson (Samuel L. Pierce). He faces the daunting task of winning the national circuit with the help of disgraced mentor Danny Peterson (Doran Danielson) while hoping for sponsorship from larger companies and finding love among his peers. The film makes for a compelling story, informative for those with no previous knowledge of speed skating. Eat. Skate. Win. Repeat. There aren’t too many movies dedicated to the sport of speed skating, which makes this one all the more rare and captivating.
“…a glimpse into the life of a National Speed Skating Circuit competitor…”
The film has its highs and lows. There is some beautiful cinematography and color grading in scenes such as Mark training with Danny or love interest Angela (Hana Hyde) looking off into a sunlight-soaked room. This clear knowledge of cinematography makes it disappointing when, in other shots, the exposure is too high or the camera is angled awkwardly. The actor staging is well done, everyone is placed nicely on screen, though the acting quality differs wildly from character to character. Samuel L. Pierce plays his character with persuasive youthful distress, and Winston (Jeremy Moller) is the epitome of a deceitful businessman. Other performances aren’t as sharp, mostly when it comes to slower line delivery. Danny was played very one-note, and Christopher Noordman as Tom made some odd physical acting choices. He must learn to focus his eyes! That said, it’s clear that the people involved in production care for the sport, and this is what makes the challenges and victories throughout the movie powerful.
The two-hour runtime is very generous, but the training and competition scenes are well paced. Throughout the film, there are cuts to “live” footage interviews with speed skating fans, which is a smart directorial idea, making the competitions more engaging and interesting. There are only a few main settings: the gym, offices, and skating rink. While most of them are finely furnished, some office rooms were completely bare and almost screamed, “rented: empty for use.” It’s always fun to see sports-specific costuming in any athletic thriller. Tom wears the same shirt the entire movie, which threw me off, but for the athletes, sporty people do wear muted, casual clothes more often, which is spot on. For a passion project, Off the Line delivers as a solid sports drama with a rewarding finale.
"…a compelling story, informative for those with no previous knowledge of speed skating"
