Netflix Movie Review: High Flying Bird (2019)

Arriving on Netflix: 
Feb. 8

The way Bill Duke's community basketball coach sees it, "you either care all the way or you don't care at all, man," and it only takes a few minutes of screen time for us to realize that, when it comes to looking out for his clients during an NBA lockout, André Holland's basketball agent Ray is a man who cares all the way.

Trying to save his lottery pick player Erick (Melvin Gregg) from bankruptcy and himself from unemployment, Ray spends a majority of Steven Soderbergh's ninety minute movie in motion. Talking at the speed of a playoffs game, over the course of a few fateful days, Ray maneuvers between the labor dispute's offense and defense.

A subversive look at "the game on top of the game" of basketball but without any court action in sight, the film, written by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight) and modeled on Sweet Smell of Success, raises valid, urgent questions about the commoditization of predominantly black athletes by white owners.

Making moves to redistribute the balance of power, money, and control back into the hands of the players alongside his brainy, ambitious assistant Sam (a terrific Zazie Beetz), in High Flying Bird, we get the chance to go behind the curtain of what Ray dubs "the sexiest sport."

Using an outsider's perspective to explore new terrain in an unexpected way, Soderbergh's bold decision to take basketball itself out of the equation gives us a closer look at what we're really seeing when we watch a game on TV.

One of our most curious filmmakers, especially given the scope and objectivity of his character driven films, it's safe to say that had he not entered the film industry, Steven Soderbergh would have made one hell of an investigative reporter.

A unique mix of vintage and modern Soderbergh filmmaking techniques, although Bird was shot on an iPhone (like his recent underrated thriller Unsane), Bird's frames are sharper and more polished, perhaps owing as much to advances in technology as the film's smoother, less frantic tone and approach.

Comprised of the same set-up of two people in a room talking that he says made his name thirty years ago in Sex, Lies, and Videotape, the end result is a fascinating blend of theater, journalism, and cinéma vérité brought to life with verve and skill by its top-notch cast in just three weeks.

Best appreciated the second time around when we're better able to digest McCraney's gorgeously penned, theatrical monologues which are so full of meaning that they occasionally feel too big for the screen, Bird also makes for an ideal double feature with the 1957 classic Sweet Smell of Success.

Used by Soderbergh as a template for the film when he was first developing it on the set of The Knick alongside Holland, even without Success, Bird is sure to inspire its fair share of think pieces and make for engaging post-film discussion regardless.

Although those looking for a traditional sports movie will be disappointed by its lack of well, sports, those willing to keep an open mind might be surprised to discover that, whether it’s about sports or film, much like Ray (or McCraney or Soderbergh for that matter), they too "care all the way."

Text ©2019, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy or screener link of this title in order to voluntarily decide to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique. Cookies Notice: This site incorporates tools (including advertiser partners and widgets) that use cookies and may collect some personal information in order to display ads tailored to you etc. Please be advised that neither Film Intuition nor its site owner has any access to this data beyond general site statistics (geographical region etc.) as your privacy is our main concern.

Film Movement DVD Review: The Iran Job (2012)

Now Available to Own   

  Photo Slideshow 
 

An equally gifted two-sport athlete whose soccer skills caught the attention of Manchester United, when it finally came time for Kevin Sheppard to choose between the fields, he opted to focus on basketball “for the girls.”

And it’s a decision that serves Sheppard infinitely well when the journeyman athlete who’s shot hoops for teams all around the world is hired to play in Iran, where much to his surprise, the charismatic charmer befriends three forward-thinking young women who not only help him feel much more at home but go on to have an eye-opening effect on him that forever changes his life.

When we first meet Sheppard in first time documentarian Till Schauder’s riveting feature The Iran Job we learn that he’s in a happy, committed relationship with his longtime girlfriend.

Nonetheless, it’s Sheppard’s friendship with his educated, outspoken physical therapy nurse Hilda and her two equally bright, thoughtful best friends that not only changes the way he approaches and evaluates life in Iran but also gives him new insight into what it means to be a global citizen who can see all points of view.

Not that The Iran Job is in any way pretentious or preachy. In fact, it’s quite the opposite as Schauder uses an admirable, old-fashioned, fly-on-the-wall approach to capture life being lived and simply observe what it is like for an American to live and work after the Iranian leader threatened war against Israel, resulting in an unstable political situation around the globe.

At a time where signs denouncing the United States are in clear view, Sheppard wisely avoids political and religious discussion on a day-to-day basis with the locals but he (and by extension the audience) is riveted by the warmth, humor and good will of those he meets who do not seem to share the views on display on the sides of buildings.

From individuals who openly tell him they love black people to his hilarious misunderstanding filled search to find a Christmas tree that leads him on a long and confusing journey, The Iran Job is that rare film that purports to be a sports documentary but in all actuality its best footage, most memorable moments and fascinating conversations all take place off the court.

Hired for double the money because of the questionable location, Sheppard is given the daunting task of having to bring the brand new Iran Super League team A.S. Shiraz to the playoffs as the captain meant to reign in, inspire and train inexperienced athletes alongside his roommate and fellow foreign journeyman, the seven foot tall Serbian player Zoran.

However, Sheppard is such a natural screen presence that he shines the brightest when he’s given a chance to shoot the breeze rather than the ball.

Growing more intense as the year passes by and the film chronicles to very different political elections – contrasting the historic election of an African American U.S. president in Barack Obama with the uprising of the reformist Green Movement amid Iran’s election and increasing instability in the streets with protests, Schauder wisely resists any temptation to frame his film with any particular political thesis.

Leaving it up to Sheppard as well as his friends and teammates to explain their thoughts on the country and their hopes for the future naturally the way people do in the normal course of conversation makes for far more compelling moviemaking.

And by staying above the fray, Schauder allows himself to let us enjoy the small little moments of laughter, romance, jokes as well as heartache that arise within the small community throughout the expanded network of friends.

An official selection at the Los Angeles Film Festival and partially funded by Kickstarter, this auspicious documentary debut by Schauder is refreshingly honest and moving from start to finish.

Beginning with one set of emotions and then illustrating the life-altering evolution from one scene to the next by allowing us to live vicariously through Kevin Sheppard, we become enlightened along the way and grateful not only that this journeyman bravely ventured to Iran with a German filmmaker posing as a tourist in tow but also that he chose basketball over soccer so many years ago.

For it’s that reason alone that enabled us to not only travel along but, along with Sheppard, meet three unforgettable girls as well, thanks to their cultural defying love of basketball that – through this film reminds us that the world, much like a basketball is round and we’re not that much different after all.

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Text ©2014, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.

Gunnin' for That #1 Spot

Director:
Adam Yauch

To misquote a memorable lyric from Beastie Boy turned filmmaker Adam Yauch, when it comes to dribbling towards NBA glory, eight of the twenty-four high schoolers prominently featured in his latest doc Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot, take it to the hoop because they can’t, they won’t and they don’t stop until they come to Rucker Park and rock the sure shot. Think of it as a cinematically trip/hip-hop infused journey (stylistically influenced by both music videos and Requiem for a Dream like repetition) that takes a Mad Hot Ballroom, Wordplay, or Spellbound like narrative documentary approach. In Gunnin', Yauch acquaints us with eight very different, versatile, and amazingly athletically gifted players from across the 50 states who—regardless of age, creed, color, background, connections, or income level—are invited on sheer talent alone to play in the now legendary Elite 24 Hoops Classic.

The three day event which culminates on Game Day (9/1/06) at Harlem’s Rucker Park is known throughout the land by those "who've got game" as the “Mecca” of street basketball and its location has resonated for sixty years like no other state-of-the-art arena in the world, according to interviewees. They explain that it’s the same park that makes or breaks dreams, launches careers, introduces kids to those with connections, offers them memorable street cred in the form of often hilarious nicknames by the MC/Narrator Robert Garcia, and perhaps most importantly helped cement the court to greatness taken by Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain.

While the odds are against the young men with shrinking statistics regarding the numbers of high school students who make it into division one or two universities and colleges let alone the NBA, throughout the U.S., the teens in Yauch’s film do what they can to separate from the pack to level the odds and climb upwards in the questionably political and ever-changing online rankings those in the film say may be dubiously crafted by men who look like they’ve never shot a ball in their life. However, with little complaint, the students go through the craziness it all brings and find it's more than worth it, especially when offered the ultimate reward of an opportunity to don a white or blue team jersey annually at Rucker's Hoops Classic.

Yauch fills Gunnin' with blaring hip-hop and rap tracks that—while distracting to the mainstream viewer—seem to be an ideal match for the hyper editing and subject matter. Nonetheless, when Gunnin' slows down from its frenetic and sometimes overly hip pace (reminding us of players who showboat a bit too often on the NBA court), you’ll find yourselves genuinely drawn in by the individual stories of the various athletes.

Although the three rival shoe companies of Reebok, Adidas, and Nike along with trainers, recruiters, financial advisors and coaches begin scouting students as young as elementary or middle school, the recurring theme running throughout each boy’s story is their love of the game, loyalty to the tireless family and friends who support them, and dedication to be the best they can be on the court. While some have experienced tragedies in their young lives losing one or both parents and/or being raised by either single parent households or grandparents, every student we encounter has an unflappable support system rooting for their player-- thus their confidence is infectious.

Taking great pains to humanize the players in refreshing ways other than just offering us statistics we would normally see on ESPN or the way they’re coolly ranked online or in the professional world, Yauch brings viewers into the lives of eight as one player dubbed the “future of point guards” admirably takes his position as role model for an adoring younger brother seriously, another promises to take care of his younger sibling if he makes it to the professional level, one embraces yoga to stay in peak condition, another plays several sports including holding the position of starting quarter back the prior year and one enjoys goofing off making Blair Witch like spoofs with his video camera. However, the most surprising revelation is repeated throughout as several share that they knew they were in love with the game when they first held that round orange ball in their hands whether they were three years old or in first grade managing to outscore their older brother and his friends and in the end, that's what we see beyond the numbers, magazine covers and hype-- just a great group of guys eager to play ball.

Intriguingly, it does raise some valuable questions about the morality and legitimacy of putting such enormous pressure on young men when they’re just getting out of elementary school as one laments that he’s been unable to get his cell phone company to turn off text messaging since he’s constantly bombarded by scouts, agents and others. In fact, it's an underlying issue which permeates just underneath the hip hop editing that makes us wish the topic would have been explored further, however admittedly it's so vast that it would probably fill an entire second documentary.

An official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival, Gunnin' earned a great rave review from Cinematical critic Scott Weinberg who called it “easily the best movie of its kind since Steve James’ Hoop Dreams." While I think that's overstating it slightly as Ward Serrill’s underrated Heart of the Game should hold that title, as Gunnin' stands, it’s a far better basketball picture than one would assume, refreshingly intimate despite its overtly masculine, testosterone-fueled bravado. Additionally it’s one that—despite being essentially a sport themed niche-picture—will manage to interest a larger audience should they take the time to seek it out.

Or in other words-- filmmaker Adam Yauch couldn’t, wouldn’t, and didn’t stop as Gunnin’ for that #1 Spot came and rocked the sure shot.

Semi-Pro

Director:
Kent Alterman

What they lack in free corndogs, the Flint Michigan Tropics make up for in ridiculous stunts whether it’s dancing in family friendly costumes when serving as their own halftime show entertainment or watching the death-defying antics of their player, owner, announcer and coach Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) as he roller skates over several bikini clad ball-girls or wrestles a bear. Aside from forbidding homemade nachos at the game, Jackie seems to only have one rule when it comes to running his fictitious ABA 1976 ball club and that is “E.L.E.” or “Everybody Love Everybody.” It’s these words he’s tried to personally take to heart with his one-hit wonder “Love Me Sexy,” that he never fails to mention or play with zero to minimal prompting, especially when celebrating with his teammates and their comely groupies at his own private club, decked out like a stereotypical 70’s era pimp, sporting a wild Caucasian version of the Afro.

When Jackie learns that at the end of the season the ABA will merge with the NBA with only four teams absorbed before the rest dissolve, he ignores the rumors that it will most likely be the Nets, Spurs, Pacers and Nuggets and decides to fight for professional glory by trading in the team’s washing machine for Monix (Woody Harrelson), a once-great NBA point guard whose reputation for having at one time either broken the collarbone or punched everyone else in the face makes Jackie’s wish for a Flint Tropics version of a love-in seem far more unlikely. Yet when Monix puts equal dedication into making plays as he is in trying to make a play for former flame Lynn (Maura Tierney), some of team’s most promising players, including Coffee Black (Andre Benjamin) decide that Mr. White Men Can’t Jump should be the one calling the shots in lieu of Elf.

While frankly not nearly as hilarious as some of Ferrell’s alternate frat-pack comedies like the outstanding Anchorman as well as his other sports films (Ricky Bobby) and I know I’ll lose some film snob “cred” for admitting this, I found myself laughing more often than not throughout Semi-Pro. And this was far easier to concede given all of the surprisingly unique gags such as Jackie’s unfortunate choice to overlook the perils of sweat and makeup, insisting the entire team don eyeliner for their televised game, a constantly smoking and drinking Will Arnett who’s so erroneously convinced he was in Vietnam that he’s willing to play Russian Roulette at a spirited poker game, and their constant arguments with the priest-- Father Pat-- who also serves as the referee.

Even though a few of the jokes fall flat and it never quite scores on some of its creatively off-the-wall potential especially when considering the characters played by Tierney as well as smaller, muddled and vaguely written turns by Rob Corrdry, Andy Richter, and Andrew Daly, it’s great to see Harrelson tackling a movie in the same vein as Kingpin, especially coming off of the heels of impressive work in the Oscar winning No Country for Old Men. Still, it’s a Will Ferrell movie first and foremost and his loyal fan base won’t want to miss the chance to see the funnyman trying to encourage everyone to love him sexy while getting tropical in Flint, Michigan.