One Kine Day (2011)
3/10
A fairly pedestrian film, which as authentic and beautifully photographed as it may be is not meant for anything except maybe daytime TV.
16 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The story of One Kine Day follows Ralsto, played by first time actor Ryan Greer, as a teen skateboarder who works at a skate shop and pretty much only knows skating. The film ignites with Ralsto finding out that his girlfriend Alea is pregnant. This being the second time she has gotten pregnant and possibly the second time she will have to go through an abortion. However Alea is having second thoughts about the abortion and with her best friend having a neglected daughter of her own pushing Alea to keep the baby this creates a rift between Alea and Ralsto. Ralsto being fired the same day of the news must come up with a way to make some quick cash so that he can afford to pay for the abortion. This leads him into illegal gambling and drug dealers thus bringing some drama to the film.

The film has a very Hawaiian laid back tone with that very island feeling of isolation. There's a variety of characters on the island all with different quarks and philosophies. Ralsto is a lost soul trying to do the right thing put under the pressure of jockeying adults telling him how he should live the rest of his life. Ultimately this is a story of maturity but Ralsto's final decision at the end of the film hardly seems like a decision but more of a yielding to parental powers and circumstances.

This is a first film from a first time narrative director with a very non polished cast and it shows in almost every scene. The cinematography and soundtrack really have something going for it but other than that your not gonna find the type of refinement you'd want from a 1st class independent film. One Kine Day is a noble attempt at telling a truthful Hawaiian story but is without the tools or foundation necessary to succeed.
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