High Flying Bird - Passion But Little Game I REVIEW

High Flying Bird - Passion But Little Game I REVIEW

(Spoiler-Free)

This is shot with a phone and it looks great. I always appreciate the effort to have a signature distinctive look. 

I admit i like the look of the film maybe a little more than i should. There is just something about those angles, that coloring, the framerate that is just so incredibly captivating to me. I seriously find it gorgeous. 

This type of film couldve so easily opted for a minimal effort reverse shoot reverse shot approach, yet in high flying bird there was always a concious effort to place the camera in interesting locations to get as nice of an angle as possible. 

Certainly this dense urban modernistic enviorments are a nice translate through the world of a smartphone. 

If anything with the camera being as small and versatile as a phone it only serves the naturality more, which this movie particularly benefited from. Though there may be some inconsistency with the color temperature as the day scenes are very bright and loaded and the nightime is quite dark, the contrast can be a little jaring. 

This is a very into-the-world type movie, as in its very up front about its basketball subject matter, where your experience value will be pretty dependent on how intetested you are by the subject, even directly attempting several teqniques youd expect from a documentary. A virtue of this approach is how they were able to capture a real naturality in the performances, sitúations, conversations. I legitimately cant tell if the dialogue its all a product of screen writting or impositation so for what this is going for thats pretty good. 

The lead was great, what a magnetism, the kind of security that makes you trust even when themselves might have a lot of doubt. He is quite entertaining to follow and surely most of the attachmebt value you develop will rest upon his shoulders. 

If you are so into basketball that you can tolerate anything even not game related, then knock yourself out, this is your movie. But don't expect any cheerful sports drama, This is not a romantic sports drama, here we focus a lot more on the industry surrounding it rather than the game itself, that might bore a lot of you. Still, its not all thay wildly allienating or unapealing. At the end of day, any good documentary should make a point to interest anybody on its subject. 

The film can get monotonous after a while, im not sure all the lenght is justofied. This is no warm sports drama, but also no documentary, but its also no character study, its more like in a weird place between those three. This movie may have worked better or at least couldve not been as tedious if it had just commited to either of those, cuz sure i feel like i got to see múltiple elements of the aforementioned but sadly very little of the good that  can make each of those memorable. 

Im sure the filmakers were very passionate about this world, i just dont think the majority of those who see this film are gonna be transmited that passion. 

6.5/10

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