#highflyingbird

HIGH FLYING BIRD (2019)

Director of Photography: Steven Soderbergh

Since the mid-1980s, Steven Soderbergh has been on the cutting edge of directorial creativity.  Be it experiments with video during the last golden age of film, switching between big budget releases and independent fare, attempting to change the way that film distribution works, or lately, changing the way films are shot, Soderbergh continually pushes the envelope.  Thought not the only director currently releasing major films shot entirely on iPhones, Soderbergh is currently doing it the best, and High Flying Bird is proof of this.

The NBA season is in the midst of a lockout season, leaving rookie Erick Scott (Melvin Gregg) and his agent Ray Burke (Andre Holland) in a financial and logistical tough spot.  Burke goes into hustle mode to do all that he can to save his job and retain his clientele, but he finds the odds stacked against him at every turn : his assistant Sam (Zazie Beetz) is actively separating from his employ (while simultaneously becoming romantically involved with Scott), professional peer Myra (Sonja Sohn) does not seem to have instilling order as a top priority, and Scott's future teammate Jamero Umber (Justin Hurtt-Dunkley) is causing friction in the social media sphere that the public is picking up on.  Burke, with his back in the corner, is able to turn the situation on its head with the help of his mentor Spencer (Bill Duke) in a way that shakes up the power dynamics of all parties involved.

Athletes’ ‘rights’ have always been an issue, and even more so as cultural diversity entered the scene.  As stated in the the film, the influx of African-American basketball players into the professional league evolved and changed the game forever, and to keep some semblance of control, owners and moneymakers exact as much control as possible over their ‘commodities’ (read : basketball players).  In the event of things like lockouts, it becomes a total power struggle in terms of monetary rights and control, and in High Flying Bird, Burke flips that power struggle on its ear by using social media to skew the power dynamic... while the owners hold the money, the players and what they get into still holds the peoples’ interest, and where the people go, the money goes.  This concept is at the root of the narrative, and though a complex series of events on the surface, the base idea is one that we all can understand.

Having a basketball movie that focuses on every aspect of the game except the actual basketball is a refreshing change of pace as well.  With iPhones in the mix, it’d seemingly be easier to get in the mix visuals of basketball action, but the fundamental game is not the focus of this story, and other than slight practice footage and an online clip, the actual sport (as it’s played) is tucked away.  The love of the game, however, shines through crystal clear... it shines through via the inclusion of the basketball player interviews, the show clips from ESPN and Fox, and in the way that Bill Duke and Andre Holland’s characters speak of their experience with the game.

The inroads that Soderbergh has made in terms of using the iPhone at the same level of a standard or digital film camera is quite impressive.  Some choices are obviously beneficial, like straying away from interior locations when possible and using natural light rather than artificial sources.  Most of the setups are economical by showing location layouts while simultaneously getting unique coverage.  When camera movement is implemented, the freedom of the iPhone’s size allows for a natural look, as if we (the audience) are standing and observing, or at times even following, our main characters.  The story does a good job of showing the levels involved in professional sports, and how quite often, talent is far from the most important factor to success.

Andre Holland is able to project confidence and cockiness, but not at the expense of allowing worry to sit just below the service (but visible to us as the audience).  Zazie Beetz exudes a different sort of confidence... the kind that comes with someone working their way up the ladder and looking for opportunities to move ahead, even if those close are left behind.  Melvin Gregg’s naivety and single-minded focus nail his role as a young athlete, but somehow they manage to do so without making him come off as a dumb athlete.  Sonja Sohn brings edginess to the table (as she’s known for) with her no-nonsense approach.  Kyle MacLachlan and his arrogance suit his protagonist role quite well, while Bill Duke’s quiet confidence and wisdom give him the air of a mentor that his role calls for.  Supporting appearances by Jeryl Prescott, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, Bobbi Bordley, Glenn Fleshler and Caleb McLaughlin, plus a ton of real life athletes and sports personalities in cameo roles, round out the cast.