Optimistic? (Absinthe Films) - dvd review

Riders: Wolgang Nyvelt, Marco Feichfner, Gigi Ruf, Matt Beardmore, Justin Bennee, Matty Ryan, Mikey Le Blanc, Nicholas Muller, Terje Haakonsen, Sylvain Bourbousson, Hans Ahlund, MFM (Marc Frank Montoya), Nicholas Droz, Jules Reymond, Erik Christensen, Phil Damianakes, Kurt Wastell, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Danny Davis.

Number of times watched before reviewing: 8

Looking forward to seeing the new Absinthe film every season is as exciting as waiting for Christmas. Directors Justin Hostynek and Patrick Armbruster are two of the most consistently high quality film makers in snowboarding and I have seen all their collaborations since the exceptional Transcendence in 2001 (which means I’ve only missed their debut effort Tribal). Also I love the way they support European riders.

"This is the first dvd I have reviewed since the advent of the YouTube era"

Optimistic? is their 8th movie and it’s the first time it has ever crossed my mind that they may be spreading themselves a bit thin. They have obviously broken into TV now with the series Flipside (about the making of last year’s More - both available on DVD) and deservedly so. However Optimistic? doesn’t instantly gratify or have the wow factor of their previous movies. Why?

It certainly isn’t down to the quality. This is the first dvd I have reviewed since the advent of the YouTube era and standards have never been more important. How else can you justify the price tag of a dvd when anyone and their dog can post homemade jibbing footage on the web for free?

"Optimistic? is Justin and Brustie's most beautifully shot film to date"

This is no let down. Optimistic? is Justin and Brustie’s most beautifully shot film to date with a restrained palette of colours that is as pleasing to the eye. They even make the graffiti look like fine art exhibits. No cheap and garish video camera colours to be found here.

The soundtrack is as tasteful and relevant to the visuals as I’ve come to expect from these boys with the exception of the awful Babyshambles (if I had to listen to them every day of my life I'd want to be on smack). The clever incorporation of animation and graphics are as accomplished as I have seen in an Absinthe production - those fonts dropped on mouth-watering landscapes will give wet dreams to certain graphic designers I know.

It isn’t down to the riders – most of the usual big boys are present including Gigi Ruf, Jules Reymond, Wolle (now Wolfgang!) Nyvelt and Nico Droz. Absinthe are one of the few top film crews that include predominantly European riders although I did miss American Travis Rice this time. He is often an Absinthe regular, one of my personal faves and easily one of the most progressive snowboarders on the circuit. Terje Haakonson, the nearest we have to a godfather of snowboarding, makes a (very brief) cameo but don’t get too excited, it’s a piss-take on skiers.

"I did miss American Travis Rice... easily one of the most progressive snowboarders on the cirtcuit"

There’s more ski-related humour. You know that shouldn’t laugh but watching Marc Frank Montoya head down the piste deliberately spraying every skier in sight is cruel but undeniably funny – almost as funny as his preoccupation with being a hip hop star as MFM fans will testify. Also there's Mikey Le Blanc's claims that his forbears invented snowboarding (or stand-up tobogganing it seems to me).

So what’s the problem?

"a heavy shift to backcountry and deep powder riding which looks a lot more fun to do than it is to watch..."

Well, it begins with a heavy shift to backcountry deep powder riding which looks a lot more fun to do than it is to watch and perhaps should have been left til nearer the end. Admittedly the backcountry sections are nice in a wish-I-was-there way and there is plenty of creative jibbing on what nature has to offer.

I suspect though that like most snowboarders, I want to be amazed by the tricky skills and sheer bravery of those I couldn’t hope to duplicate myself in a million years. In this respect, Justin Bennee and Matty Ryan ’s rails & rooftops section is eminently enjoyable, due mostly to their guerrilla approach to urban snowboarding and Erik B and Rakim's 'Don't Sweat The Technique' soundtrack. And it was nice to be reminded what a skillful snowboarder Nico Droz actually is.

"...it was nice to be reminded what a skillful snowboarder Nico Droz actually is."

At a time when there are few truly new snowboarding tricks to be seen, the only thing novel here is the inclusion of wall rides which I have noticed a few pros going for on snowboarding sites recently. Of course we have some big air (probably what Absinthe used to be most famous for) and lots and lots of rails but perhaps not enough progression to be more than a satisfying fix – not to amaze.

For Absinthe regulars, this is a film to add to the collection for sure but if you haven’t seen one of their films before, try find More, Saturation or Transcendence first.

Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 Go to http://www.absinthe-films.com/ for trailers and more info.

Filmography:
Optimistic?, More, Futureproof, Pop, Saturation, Vivid, Transcendence, Tribal. Also Flipside (series about the making of More).