Review of He Got Game (1998) by Jeff H — 13 May 2008

Showcasing the directorâ??s love for basketball, the film revolves around an imprisoned felon (Denzel Washington) who is given the opportunity to reduce his sentence if he can persuade his estranged son to accept a basketball scholarship to a particular university. Made for $25 million the film was a loss, barely grossing $21.5.

Reciting poetry rather than spouting hate, the basketball-themed He Got Game is a refreshing change for Spike Lee whose previous works centered predominantly on his frustration over racial stereotypes (though not completely absent in this film, the racial undertones are overshadowed by Leeâ??s obvious love for the game). For those who view every film in grounded realism (guilty to some extent), the plot will come off as completely farfetched, but then again, given the directorâ??s previous films (School Daze particularly), Lee seems to be a filmmaker more interested in the power of his voice than the coherence of his narratives. With superb performances by Denzel and newcomer Ray Allen, He Got Game is a beautifully acted and choreographed sports flick with a heart (Bull Durham turned Hollywood Homicide director Ron Shelton, are you taking notes? Go back to your roots, man!); an entertaining film which reveals a different personal side of Lee.