It just needed a bit more time to bake, but the film is sure to tug at the heartstrings.
What it's about
When the Chuska Warriors lose their star player in a tragic incident, the high school basketball team’s coach decides to train them in a more traditional way.
The take
In most instances, Rez Ball isn’t all that different from traditional sports dramas. It features a down-on-their-luck high school basketball team--the Chuska Warriros-- that gets better through sheer perseverance and teamwork. But as the title suggests, the Warriors play a slightly different kind of game. Rez Ball, according to the film, is faster and more points-focused. And the way the film lets the players (and us, the audience) learn about it by connecting the team with Navajo culture and practices is ingenious. As an intimate showcase of rez life, the film shines. But as a drama, it falters. The acting is rusty and uneven (though shoutout to Devin Sampson-Craig and first-timer Kauchani Bratt for getting it right), and the direction feels similarly wooden. The film is a promising entry, it just needs more time and polishing to be great.
What stands out
Coach Heather’s clever ways of teaching the team the Rez Ball ways.
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