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Ray Allen (1998)
Given his love of the game, when word got out that Spike Lee was directing a movie about a young basketball prodigy, many thought this had a chance to be one of the director’s best films. Once it was released, however, those people were quickly proven wrong. While Spike’s ridiculous script and unnecessary sub-plots should be blamed for a large part of the film’s failure, casting Ray Allen, especially in a movie that featured so little actual basketball, certainly didn’t help. No disrespect intended: Allen is an all-around nice guy, and he’s still playing at a very high level in the NBA; but thespian he is not. Putting him in scenes with one of the world’s greatest living actors, Denzel Washington, probably wasn’t the best game plan for success either. Allen fared a little better in his scenes with Rosario Dawson, but for the most part his reactions are stiff, his delivery is flat, and it feels like he is still running lines in dress rehearsal throughout the film. We’re going to throw up a prayer from half-court and wager he didn’t major in theater during his three years at UConn.
From IW: This is one I don't necessarily agree with, as it is one of my faves. I have to admit tho, it would've been very different without Denzel.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
He Got Game
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7 comments:
I have to agree with you on. It would have been a different story if Denzel wasn't in it. I'ma big Spike Lee and Denzel Washington fan so it gets a pass because of that.
This movie was actually shot on my old block in Coney Island island - I remember all of the women swooning whenever The Denz would peep his head out of a trailer. That said, the movie is decent, but wouldve been so much better had Spike gone with a real actor over Ray Allen, who was just way too stiff.
This is the Spike Lee movie that made me turn on him. It was a good movie, overall I would give it a B-, and then it happened...the ending. Why, is he not creative enough to end a movie, it was alright with School Daze, Do The Right Thing, and Crooklyn, but by the time he got to this movie it was old and redundant. Some people call it his trademark...
The ending gets an F-
I watched this again on cable the other day. I agree Ray Allen was horrible.
In all honesty, I thought he was pretty realistic...all of the college basketball players I've known pretty much act that way every day.
I actually think that Ray Allen did a pretty good job. I'm with you Invisible Woman...he actually reminded me of a friend of mine who played college bball and had a strained relationship with his father. I thought his character was supposed to be a little flat. Would not have been realistic if he was too emotional.
Agreed Keli
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