Hey, my name is Ria Vieira. In the upcoming weeks I’m going to be
expressing my love for movies by reviewing some great or not-sogreat films. If you want to discuss a movie or this column with me,
please contact me at rvieira@andover.edu!
“High Flying Bird”
Summary:
Set in the middle of a basketball lockout, sports agent Ray Burke (Andre Holland) spearheads a new business opportunity that would change sports entertainment as we know it. Accompanied by his client and rookie basketball player (Melvin Gregg) the two battle through trials of race, wealth, and the business behind professional sports to rise to the top.
Writing/Directing:
Ever since “Logan Lucky” (2017), Steven Soderbergh has been one of the go-to names when I think about a filmmaker’s ingenuity. No matter how mundane the focus or setting of the plot might seem, the stories and dialogues that he creates for characters are unique in their complexity and quirkiness.
As the movie was written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Soderbergh I was excited for a new narrative of a common genre surrounding sports. And “High Flying Bird” did just that. The story brings you to the underbelly of the basketball industry giving the viewer the inside scoop on how black players and women in the industry interact with the money-driven, power hungry, predominantly white businessmen who run the sports industry. It opens up a very complex and unknown world to even the most removed people from sports.
Cinematography:
The cinematography is also a factor that led me to click on this Netflix-released film. Soderbergh continues to push the boundaries of conventional film by shooting the whole movie on an iPhone. This created not only more intimate connection between the characters and the audience but it also gave Soderbergh the ability to get certain shots that he would have been able to shoot with a usual big cinematic movie camera. Not to mention, it’s just really cool.
Ria’s Rate: 8/10 Soderbergh doesn’t seem to be finished bringing new and creative ideas to the forefront of Hollywood.
