Review of He Got Game (1998) by Heshani U — 02 Mar 2008

Spike Lee brings some big issues facing the black community to the forefront here. Most notably the chasm that has formed between the sexes, and the way out of the hood being through sports (or entertainment). The former is very well explored. The latter took me a little longer to understand. Yes, Jesus is given a way out through sports, and at least he put an emphasis on education and went the college route instead of straight to the NBA. His father wished basketball had been an out for him, and was obsessed with that being the out for his son. This caused the demise of his free life, and his familial relationships. I'm a little bummed because in terms of using basketball to succeed, Jesus' story is much more recognizable as that. Horatio Alger stories are no good for anyone. The character of Jake Shuttlesworth was supremely well written. He was like an onion that revealed in layers. Usually when you see a character like that you are initially exposed to the bad, and the good of the character is revealed later. Interesting to see the opposite happen here.

As for aesthetics, Lee has a strong and unique style. The lighting was killer. My favorite technical aspect by far. I'm usually not the biggest fan of wide angle lenses, but it worked well here. An honorable mention for editing as well. I will say that while I wasn't completely turned off by the score, it felt kind of awkward sometimes. Too epic. And Public Enemy was underused. Lastly, kudos to Ray Allen. Not a horrible acting job for a professional basketball player, especially considering he was working side by side with Denzel Washington. I may be a little biased though, as he was my favorite basketball player for years when I was growing up.