Rez Ball
Rez Ball is streaming on Netflix at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 13+.
A horrible tragedy casts a long shadow as a Native American basketball team gears up for their big season. Will they be able to regroup in time to make a run at the championship?
STORY: A-
A great underdog tale, but also representative storytelling at its best.
On one hand, Rez Ball feels like almost every other sports movie you’ve ever seen. But when Native Americans are invited into a cinematic space typically reserved for white folks, the message is clear: we’re all so much more alike than we are different.
The film also makes sure to build enough space for the experience of being Native American to cook. To breathe. It shows that we can be similar and different all at the same time, and that this duality is actually an amazing, beautiful thing.
PEOPLE: B-
A team of rookie actors goes off.
The film gets some great performances from some veteran actors. But the basketball squad is largely made up of first time actors (including Kauchani Bratt, who handles the lead role as well as he handles the rock). Their inexperience comes across as authenticity, giving the film a layer of realism.
FILM NERD STUFF: C+
The hoops are legit.
According to director Sydney Freeland, her actors needed to show that they had chops not just in the audition room, but on the court as well. That decision, along with the sharp cinematography and impressive editing, makes the basketball scenes crackle with life.
The believable basketball action makes each character feel more authentic. That sense extends to the time when they’re off the court, which draws us more deeply into the entire film.
ONE BIG LESSON: A
Finding success can mean walking that line between carving your own path and honoring the path of all those who came before you.
Knowing yourself means recognizing what makes you unique. It also means knowing where you came from. Holding those two things together at the same time can give you a strength you might not have thought possible.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Rez Ball isn’t a perfect movie. But it does a lot of things perfectly, many of which I’ve named above. It’s a charming, inspirational story that everyone will find something to love about.