A heavy-handed story of racial hostility in a Halifax high school is redeemed by strong acting and a gritty approach in this debut feature by music-video-maker Director X (Julien Christian Lutz), who transforms what might have been a bland afterschool special into something more potent. Mattie (Stephan James), a talented hockey player being scouted for the NHL, studies with a mixed-race woman named Jayme (Sarah Jeffery), who serves as a voice of tolerance among her classmates, and has plans to move to Toronto for college with her white boyfriend John (Steven Love). Unfortunately, John's racist pal Todd (Denis Theriault) goads him into attacking Mattie for getting too close to Jayme, and their fight—along with a larger interracial brawl at the school and bad publicity caused by the unsavory activities of Mattie's older brother (Shamier Anderson)—threatens to derail any chance he might have of a pro career. James is excellent as Mattie, who is trying to toe the line in order to achieve the success his parents hope for, and he is backed by a solid cast. Lutz pointedly refuses to prettify the locations, opting instead for a grim, depressed look that reflects the characters' hardscrabble lives. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Across the Line
Lightyear</span>, 88 min., not rated, DVD: $19.98, <span class=SpellE>Blu</span>-ray: $25.99, Aug. 1 Volume 32, Issue 5
Across the Line
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