HIGHWAY GOSPEL (Jaret Belliveau, Canada). 97 minutes. Rating: NNN
In Highway Gospel, Jaret Belliveau looks at both a rowdy group of world-class BC longboarders who race down mountain highways and a middle-aged Ottawa slalom skateboarder who attempts a comeback before his second heart surgery.
The doc suffers from a disorienting beginning but gets back on track when it finds the story it wants to tell, climaxing in two separate races. A couple of subjects aren’t the most compelling – and where are the women? – but Belliveau makes great use of Seth Rogen-lookalike Bricin Lyons, whose exuberance and play-by-play announcer talents are documentary gold.
The film’s soul, though, lies in former champ Claude Regnier, who risks his health, his relationships and his dwindling bank account for the sport he loves.
