Kobe Bryant's Muse is about what I expected. I must admit, I only developed an interest in the late legendary basketball player after his relatively recent untimely passing. He is indeed one of the greatest players to have ever played the game, and this movie does a good job of portraying some of the biggest obstacles he faced in his professional and personal life. I feel like I know more about his struggles on and off the court after watching this documentary.
The film's driving plot amidst the non-linear storytelling outlining Kobe's career and love for the game is his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon injury at the tail end of the 2012-2013 NBA regular season. The injury came to be the first of many that would ultimately lead to his retirement in 2016, the year after this film was released. This is an interesting although not entirely original approach. However, too much emphasis is placed on the injury, making the movie drag.
As stated by other reviewers, literally the only person interviewed is Kobe himself. This is a fresh approach to the sports documentary genre, although it would have been nice to have gotten other perspectives as well from people who watched Kobe grow. While he goes into great detail about his relationship with his wife Vanessa, his relationships with notable teammates (i.e. Shaq, Pau Gasol) and coaches (i.e. Phil Jackson) are left almost completely ignored.
From a cinematographic perspective, the movie offers an intimate portrait of the basketball legend. However, certain scenes of Kobe shooting baskets all alone that are supposed to be artistic and graceful come off as slightly boring. On the other hand, the editing, music, etc. Are all quite professional and in good taste.
Overall, while this film offers a glimpse into the factors that contributed to Kobe's passion for the game and incredible work ethic, I was hoping for more. In the context of his death, this movie could have explored much more. His achievements as an athlete and his overall legacy seen underplayed. But of course, none of the filmmakers at the time of this movie's production knew he would not be with us much longer. I would recommend this film to die-hard Kobe fans wanting to know more about the struggles he faced. I personally would not watch it again though.
The film's driving plot amidst the non-linear storytelling outlining Kobe's career and love for the game is his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon injury at the tail end of the 2012-2013 NBA regular season. The injury came to be the first of many that would ultimately lead to his retirement in 2016, the year after this film was released. This is an interesting although not entirely original approach. However, too much emphasis is placed on the injury, making the movie drag.
As stated by other reviewers, literally the only person interviewed is Kobe himself. This is a fresh approach to the sports documentary genre, although it would have been nice to have gotten other perspectives as well from people who watched Kobe grow. While he goes into great detail about his relationship with his wife Vanessa, his relationships with notable teammates (i.e. Shaq, Pau Gasol) and coaches (i.e. Phil Jackson) are left almost completely ignored.
From a cinematographic perspective, the movie offers an intimate portrait of the basketball legend. However, certain scenes of Kobe shooting baskets all alone that are supposed to be artistic and graceful come off as slightly boring. On the other hand, the editing, music, etc. Are all quite professional and in good taste.
Overall, while this film offers a glimpse into the factors that contributed to Kobe's passion for the game and incredible work ethic, I was hoping for more. In the context of his death, this movie could have explored much more. His achievements as an athlete and his overall legacy seen underplayed. But of course, none of the filmmakers at the time of this movie's production knew he would not be with us much longer. I would recommend this film to die-hard Kobe fans wanting to know more about the struggles he faced. I personally would not watch it again though.