Drumline (2002)

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Blistering performances.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Devon Miles (Nick Cannon) is a brash young drummer with a scholarship to Atlanta A&T. He was raised by a single mom in Harlem. Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones) runs the program but he's very traditional under pressure to update his style to compete against a rival. Devon flirts with dancer Laila (Zoe Saldana) immediately. Leader of the drumline Sean Taylor (Leonard Roberts) is challenged by Devon's rebellious nature and his superior playing. It all culminates in a big BET competition.This is a pretty simple coming-of-age story against the backdrop an interesting African American subculture. Nick Cannon is great as the brash young buck and I didn't even realize that the love interest was played by Zoe Saldana until I watched it again recently. This follows a very traditional formula and delivers a very competent movie.

African American males often use Music as part of a wonderful learning style and this film is a hilarious and inspiring exposition of this fact. Nick Cannon is on the beat as Devon Miles, a musical prodigy with a gift for rhythm and percussion. Orlando Jones is a revelation as Dr. Lee, a different kind of black hero who uses his mind and his teaching skill to win adventures in learning rather than relying on guns and fists. He easily and naturally reflects the kind of personality that populates many urban environments working tirelessly to raise the tone of the entire community.I also enjoyed the conflict and tension between Cannon's Devon Miles and Leonard Roberts' (of 'Heroes' fame) Sean Taylor, head of the Drum Section at the Southern University Miles has won a scholarship to attend. Once again, as in the movie 'Accepted' the creative nonconformist butts heads with the system and its representatives and learns the value of humility in cultivating natural talent. Something like 'The Natural' with drums, but minus the lightning and the thunder if you discount the emotional fireworks between the lead characters themselves.That's it in a nutshell. The final 'Drum Off' between the two competing Universities at the end of the film captured more about the Black Aesthetic than anything I have seen in a long time. I thought it was a beautiful set piece and kudos to Director Charles Stone III and his Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut. The beautiful thing about this scene was that despite it sensationalistic aspects nobody was maimed or killed to accomplish the ultimate dramatic effect. You can feel the intense passion of the African American to rise above that factor of their legacy that involves oppression and exploitation, but here that angst is discharged creatively rather than destructively.Zoe Saldana (of 'Star Trek' fame) as Laila, the romantic interest of Devon, demonstrates through their relationship the steps our main character must take to socialize his tremendous talent for the greatest benefit to all. J. Anthony Brown makes a worthy adversary as Mr. Wade to Band Leader Dr. Lee before and during the BET Competitions for best University Band in America. But what I really liked was how the story revealed the African American Community seizing Learning and Music as an appropriate choice of weapons for attaining greater freedom with an in-your-face style and panache.

...Well i don't like them much. My sister was given this film as a gift for Christmas. The family decided to watch it together. I think each of us wish we had a brick to embed in our skulls afterwards. This film wasn't shot badly nor was it badly scripted, if your into marching bands that is, but it is incredibly bad if you don't care about this stuff. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who could really enjoy this film and i don't mean to be offensive but I just did not enjoy watching this movie.If I was into marching bands it would probably get an 8. So....if you like marching bands watch it. If not, don't.

A talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.After I've just seen the first 10 minutes of the film, I already knew it would be a fantastic film. I don't know why there is so much hate in this film on IMDb, with a low rating like 5.2/10?! Maybe people can't handle the fact it's just a really good film.I like the marching band world. I'm in it at school and I love the fact it holds true to that. The bands in the film were creative with their skills, fun, and entertaining to watch! I don't even know if you could watching this film standing up without jumping with the beat because it will make your feet tap.The acting by Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones, and Leonard Roberts were all good. This film, like Akeelah and the Bee, Last Holiday, and Barber Shop, is what makes films with a majority African American so good. The drum sequences in this film are amazing.If you hate this film just because it's "black", you are what makes the world bad these days. This is afar from being a bad film. It's a wonderful, very entertaining, and has its funny moments.