Eddie Dodson owes the bank money a lot of money. He also owes a gangster a lot of money. But Eddie doesn't care. This outside-the-box biopic strays from traditional biographical story-telling into an 80s nostalgia film about living life like a movie. The flick follows Dodson living life to the fullest while ignoring the dangers of his actions, but then again, movies don't usually have consequences. Directed by Tristan Patterson, many scenes elicit thoughts that should appeal to every millennial while poking at the memory of those who lived through the 1980s and early 90s. The most unbelievable parts of the picture are those based on true events, which is what makes Electric Slide so intriguing to watch.

Dodson is portrayed by Jim Sturgess (Cloud Atlas) whose character at times is so perplexingly naive (yet somehow aware at the same time) that it is hard to believe he was a real person. A short backstory; the actual Eddie Dodson was a Hollywood socialite who gained his moniker "the New York Yankees Bandit" by robbing 64 banks in nine months (to support his drug addiction) while wearing a Yankees cap. After serving 10 years in prison he fell back into drugs and in 1999, knocked off eight more banks, was arrested and died of Hepatitis C in 2003.

The Delusion

Take a trip down memory lane with Dodson as he nonchalantly holds up the prettiest bank tellers he can find, charming them with his style and unorthodox robbery techniques (it's 1983, crimes solved in one hour today take week or possible months back then).  Dodson soon finds solace in his partner Pauline - played by the stunning Isabel Lucas (Red Dawn) - who finds living life in a fantasy equally as appealing. They stroll along in a black, 1963 Ford Galaxy without a care in the world while characters living in reality around them are as confused as their real-life counterparts must have been.

Dodson's charm no doubt helps sway witnesses to give less credible info regarding his crimes however; he is faced to force the reality at times especially when it comes time to have a chat with Ray Fortune (Christopher Lambert) about his debts. Lord Raiden (Lambert's character in Mortal Kombat, anyone?) isn't as accepting of Dodson's outlook on life and he shows him this in some unfriendly ways
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Eddie asks himself "What happened to the art in this town?" as he struggles to figure out why others are upset that he owes them large lump sums. Luckily for him, Pauline will go along for the ride so long as everything goes her way.

Silence is Golden

Despite his apparent stupidity, viewers will develop sympathy for the criminal because his mindset is seemingly unlike anything that could be replicated by someone today. Mixtapes, records and not being able to call a person immediately if you don't know where they are will keep younger viewer's minds constantly swimming. The combination of the early-80's style and great music such as Iggy Pop and Magazine should have this generation reveling in awe of trends that once again exist today. Great editing also appeals to our shortened, information-focused attention spans.

Many scenes of Electric Slide lean on the accompanying music or purposeful lack of dialogue; whichever the case it relies on the viewer to fill in the blanks. This is a welcomed changed from the norm and really helps set the tone of the film. The scenery, feel and use of music mimic transitional scenes from movies like The Warriors, except that is the feeling of the entire duration. Scenes change, music starts and you really don't know what is Dodson is going to do next.

Stuck in Time

Although the movie suffers at some points due to unexplained plot, with the overall tone it isn’t a big deal. But, there were some points where you may ask “Why is this significant?”.

For a picture so focused on characters not adhering to the world around them, Patterson does a great job of using superb performances from names like Chloe Sevigny, Particia Arquette and the aforementioned Lambert to bring a sense of reality from supporting characters. In the end, Electric Slide is timeless, and should stand alone in its generation for being unlike any modern movie.