A group of The Girls went out to lunch and a movie after church yesterday. We had a little discussion about which movie to see, with "Coach Carter" and "Assault on Precinct 13" being the options. A couple people were concerned about the R rating and action in Precinct 13, and everyone wanted to see Coach Carter, so that was the winner.
I read a review of "Coach Carter" about a week and a half ago--long enough that I don't remember where I read it or who wrote it. The reviewer didn't like it all that well. And as I read the review, I realized that he was telling his readers more about himself than he was about the quality of the movie. His tone was that of the Professionally Jaded Reviewer. He blasted the movie for being too predictably uplifting, like "Stand And Deliver" and its ilk, and complained that there wasn't more emphasis on father-son conflict. His review made me wonder if he still has even the tiniest piece of himself that can actually enjoy a movie. I suspect the only movies he approves of are the "daring" or "courageous" movies that leave a bitter aftertaste of disturbing images in the hearts of the viewers.
That said, and at the risk of revealing more about myself than the movie, here's the review.
"Coach Carter:" Loved it. Not being someone from the inner-city environment (I grew up in lower-middle-class suburbs, where half of the neighbors were either active or retired Navy--we were active), the movie struck me as true-to-life. Some of the incidents ran counter to the typical Hollywood spin. While Hollywood would choose certain parents to be Carter supporters and others to be his opponents, in the movie, the same parents bounced back and forth between support and opposition. And some events failed to live up to fairy-tale outcomes, but instead showed the pain and irony that real life offers.
Samuel L. Jackson was ideal as Coach Carter. He was hard because he had to be in order to help these boys who became part of his heart. He never became emotional when he delivered or stuck to his rules, but the lingering of the camera in closeup told of the emotion Carter wouldn't allow to show.
Rob Brown, last seen by me in "Finding Forrester," delivered a fine performance as Kenyon Stone. His is the face of a young man without an edge, someone who does his best to do right within his world. By contrast, Rick Gonzalez portrayed Timo Cruz with the edge we might expect for someone who has had too much hard living. He was always believable, in his anger, in his pain, in his cocky self-assurance, and in his need for the team.
"Coach Carter" delivers. The characters feel real, the tone of the school administrators finds the right mix of disillusionment and desire for better. The basketball scenes don't dominate the story, but they lead to a gripping finale. It's a movie that satisfies, one I recommend. I may even buy it when it comes out on DVD.
No comments:
Post a Comment