I've been a fan of director Steven Soderbergh's work for years. His style is very specific and I wouldn't be surprised if he's lost some of his fans over the past few years, due to the fact that he's absolutely let his style run away with him. Other than Moneyball, there have been very few films about behind the scenes aspects of a sport that have left a lasting impact on me. I will definitely remember certain aspects of High Flying Bird, but it's not the direction that impressed me all that much. Let's dive into one of Netflix's latest feature films.
Shot entirely on an iPhone, High Flying Bird follows the true story of how an agent shopped a rookie around during the NBA lockout. While being a little shady, this leads to troubling times for some of the people involved. With a sharp script to back this story up, I found myself incredibly enthralled each and every time two or more characters were conversing in a room together. The highlight of this film is easily the screenplay written by Tarell Alvin McCraney.
Only having a previous credit for the story of the film Moonlight, after watching High Flying Bird, I feel confident in making the leap and calling McCraney a writer to seek out in the future. I will be looking forward to anything he puts his hands on because the quick dialogue nearly reminded me of an Aaron Sorkin script. For that reason alone, I was glued to the screen. This may seem biased, but the reason I liked certain aspects of this film so much, is simply due to the fast-paced, witty dialogue.
Soderbergh does a great job in the director's chair as always, but the notion of releasing an entire feature film for a wide audience to see, having been shot on an iPhone, is a risky move. It's not his first try at this, but it's quite noticeable. From the way certain scenes are lit to the way that exposure has yet to be perfected in smartphones, I personally found myself disconnected with the movie as a whole. If it wasn't for the screenplay keeping me hooked on the story, I would've been too distracted by the cinematography here.
In the end, High Flying Bird serves as a solid attempt in putting together a film in this way but ultimately doesn't feel right visually. André Holland delivers the best performance I've ever seen him give and Melvin Gregg, along with Zazie Beetz, support him very well. I'll always like the look and style of a Soderbergh film, but this one didn't quite do it for me. Although I was distracted by the overall feel of this movie, the story itself and the dialogue within it, was far superior to anything else. For that reason, I can give this movie a recommendation, but there may be a partial bias within that recommendation.
Shot entirely on an iPhone, High Flying Bird follows the true story of how an agent shopped a rookie around during the NBA lockout. While being a little shady, this leads to troubling times for some of the people involved. With a sharp script to back this story up, I found myself incredibly enthralled each and every time two or more characters were conversing in a room together. The highlight of this film is easily the screenplay written by Tarell Alvin McCraney.
Only having a previous credit for the story of the film Moonlight, after watching High Flying Bird, I feel confident in making the leap and calling McCraney a writer to seek out in the future. I will be looking forward to anything he puts his hands on because the quick dialogue nearly reminded me of an Aaron Sorkin script. For that reason alone, I was glued to the screen. This may seem biased, but the reason I liked certain aspects of this film so much, is simply due to the fast-paced, witty dialogue.
Soderbergh does a great job in the director's chair as always, but the notion of releasing an entire feature film for a wide audience to see, having been shot on an iPhone, is a risky move. It's not his first try at this, but it's quite noticeable. From the way certain scenes are lit to the way that exposure has yet to be perfected in smartphones, I personally found myself disconnected with the movie as a whole. If it wasn't for the screenplay keeping me hooked on the story, I would've been too distracted by the cinematography here.
In the end, High Flying Bird serves as a solid attempt in putting together a film in this way but ultimately doesn't feel right visually. André Holland delivers the best performance I've ever seen him give and Melvin Gregg, along with Zazie Beetz, support him very well. I'll always like the look and style of a Soderbergh film, but this one didn't quite do it for me. Although I was distracted by the overall feel of this movie, the story itself and the dialogue within it, was far superior to anything else. For that reason, I can give this movie a recommendation, but there may be a partial bias within that recommendation.