Sick Product of a Sick System

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Big-hearted doc about the players (almost all African-American, between 20 and 45) who meet every weekend for basketball in 'The Graveyard' -Washington Park in Albany. They've been going for years, a generation played before them, and their kids will play there next. For the first half we watch the play, the pushing, the struggle for who has 'next', the arguments about every call (a number of players admit they're willing to lie through their teeth), and the trash talk -- the best have turned it into an effective weapon to get in the heads and melt down the emotions of their opponents. But there is also a whole lot of laughter and love between these men who look forward all week to coming out to the park, seeing their old friends, letting off steam. There's also racial politics. White players can get in, but you gotta earn your place, and the guys aren't going to make it easy. White player (and co-director), Basil says he likes to not be in the position of privilege for once, to have to go the extra mile to prove he belongs. And if you're some kid who thinks he's cool, you better be ready to back it up, or these 'old men' will play you right off the court. But what takes the film to another level is the 2nd half, where we get to know these men away from the courts. In 'real life' they're mostly gentle, kind people, most of whom work serving others, whether as a teacher, a judge, or working at a halfway house. It's a lesson in not judging books by their covers; the ferocious street-wise manner on the court is only one side of these men, who also have big hearts and big minds to go with their (often funny) big on-court egos. The camera-work is rudimentary, the crew was tiny, and the whole thing looks like it cost a dime to make. But when you've got a good story, with good characters, everything else will find a way. It may never win an Oscar, just like these guys will never be NBA players. But they both got game.

This is a sports movie in the same way Rudy and The Blind Side are sports movies.The characters ran me from contempt to compassion. I enjoyed the ride from learning about the game to learning about the people. I left feeling really heartened about the way this anarchy is like a stream that picks young men up and carries them through life. There are older men pulling and younger men pushing and it just moves everyone to higher ground.I took my teenage sons to see it. There is of course some language that you might find offensive. The spirit behind those words made me feel it was a great influence for young people. I took my wife to see it and she enjoyed it as much as I did.