The Motivation - Film Review
by Kathryn Loggins

Directed by Adam Bhala Lough

Every human being has ambitions. Everyone is trying to live out their hopes and dreams to become something truly great. In the world of competitive sports this ambition drives men and women to become champions.

The Motivation is the story of eight such men - all professional skateboarders – who are trying to win the title of Street League Champion and a grand prize of $200,000. The Street League Championship is a tournament of the best pro-skateboarders in the world on a course that is specifically designed to push the skaters to their limits.

The film, artfully directed by Adam Bhala Lough (WEAPONS, The Carter), invites us into the lives of the eight competitors in the months before they embark on a journey that could change their lives. Each character has a specific motivation for competing in the Street League Championship and different struggles to overcome. The guys range from the young protégé (Chaz Ortiz) to the reigning champ (Paul Rodriguez). An inspiring character is the extremely charismatic Chris Cole, the oldest skater in this competition, who struggles with physical constrains and balancing family life with the pursuit of becoming a champion.

Each of these eight athletes is given apt amount of focus and attention by the filmmakers, so the audience is able to pick their favorite competitor by the time the tournament starts. While the skaters perform astonishing tricks over and over again with their futures on the line the audience is swept off their feet and can’t help but stand up and cheer.