He Got Game

 2/4

Starring: Ray Allen, Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson, Zelda Harris, Ned Beatty, Milla Jovovich

Rated R for Pervasive Language, Strong Sexuality, Some Drug Content and Violence

It's amazing how writer/director Spike Lee is often able to convey complex emotions with simple action.  "He Got Game," an atypical sports movie if there ever was one, has a tremendous opening.  It is a series of brief clips of random people playing basketball.  Yet somehow Lee manages to communicate the fantasy of superstardom that everyone has the moment they step onto the court.  No matter how good or bad they are or how serious the game is, every time a person steps beneath those baskets, they imagine themselves as Michael Jordan or LeBron James.

"He Got Game" is not a basketball movie, however.  It's merely the world in which he examines two issues: the relationship between fathers and sons and a ruthless depiction recruitment in college sports.  The former is meant to tug on the heartstrings while the latter is a scathing, unrelenting attack.  The problem is not that Lee isn't able to wed these two storylines together.  It's that he frequently dawdles and loses focus.  Insight gives way to repetition, and as good a filmmaker as Lee is, he could have used a stronger editor.

Jesus Shuttlesworth (Allen) is the talk of the basketball world.  Recruiters are breathing down his neck, desperately trying to get him to play for their schools.  Even the NBA has taken notice of this All-American success story.  A kid from the projects raised his sister (Harris) by himself and has worked his way to become the hottest basketball prospect ever.  One person who has taken notice is his father Jake (Washington), who is imprisoned at Attica.  One day Jake gets a call from the Warden (Beatty).  The governor is a basketball fanatic, and if Jake can get his son to sign with his alma mater, he'll shorten Jake's sentence.  That's going to be difficult, considering that Jesus despises his father.  Old wounds are going to have to be reopened.

Although Denzel Washington is the biggest name in the cast, this isn't Jake's story.  It's Jesus who takes center stage.  Spike Lee took a huge gamble by casting a pro-ball player for the lead in his film, but the risk paid off.  Ray Allen, then a hotshot NBA player himself, is a natural actor with a low-key charisma and charm that makes him easy to like and root for.  Allen makes the crucial decision not to push the material.  The temptation for actors in roles like this, especially if they aren't professional, is to overact and go for the histrionics.  Allen keeps it in check, using his eyes and body language to communicate more than his voice.  Washington is an arresting actor even on his bad days, and while this doesn't exactly stretch his considerable talents, this is nonetheless a solid performance from the acting legend.

Lee's depiction of college sports recruitment is as cynical and angry as they come.  In his eyes, it's a den of corruption and greed that infects everyone with its poisons.  Jesus is a good kid who wants to do right by his deceased mother and little sister, but he comes to face the harsh reality that no one loves a superstar solely for their personality.  Even the sugary sweetness of loved ones hides the forked tongue of greed and deception.  

Unfortunately, Lee takes so long making his points that they lose their impact.  For example, after we see a sports agent all but bribe Jesus to go pro immediately, we get the point.  A ten minute long sequence where a friend tries to draw Jesus to Tech U seems to be included solely because Lee wanted to include some gratuitous sex and nudity and a cameo by John Turturro.  This whole sequence could, and should, have been cut.  Similarly, a subplot between Jake and a beaten down prostitute played by Milla Jovovich (in one of her better performances), adds nothing to the proceedings.  It's nicely played by the actors, but I still don't understand what it added to the film.

Lee has something important to say and he says it in a way that is unique but effective (the film often looks and sounds like an ESPN show).  But the film lacks focus.  It goes on and on and on, long after we have heard and agreed with his thesis.  Being a diehard fan of the New York Knicks, this is obviously near and dear to his heart, but sometimes a little less is a lot more.