What type of movie do you aim to be when you possess real-life interviews and acting sequences in between? More and more, in today’s world of entertainment, the lines are blurred between fact and fiction, real life and performance, and so on. The filmmakers are probably thinking that they do not care as much about how their project is accepted as they do about the message they are trying to convey, but truthfully, we ALL care about acceptance. To claim their was “no purpose” or “intentional direction” is STILL a purpose and a direction, in its own right. With all that said, what is “High Flying Bird” really supposed to be?

I was born in 1982. That same year, the National Football League (NFL) was in the midst of a players’ strike. As a matter of fact, I was born on a day in which no professional football was played because the strike was not yet over. The NFL went through another season-shortening strike just five years later. Professional baseball went through the same thing in 1994. As for the National Basketball Association (NBA), there have also been a couple of strikes (or lockouts, as they are often called). One came in 1998 and another in 2011. Every few years, it seems that at least one of the major sports leagues in the United States (US) hears whispers of a strike of some kind, but off-season negotiations usually prevent this from occurring. At the end of the day, one side is willing to compromise for the sake of keeping the fans happy, or the players happy. After all, that is where all the money REALLY is.

Try to imagine another NBA lockout happening in 2019 or some time very close to that. The news breaks while you, a prominent players’ agent, is having a business lunch with your most-lucrative client. The next thing you know, the account on your credit card has been frozen and you are down to your last few bucks after the bill has been paid. You see, there is a “middle man” in all of this that I would assess gets often-ignored, much like the middle child in an otherwise fully-functional and loving family. Ask yourself this question: “Have I ever seen an actual film about a sports agent?” OK, maybe you have, but even then it must be a rare occurrence.

“High Flying Bird” was directed by Steven Soderbergh (“Unsane”) and written by Tarell Alvin McCraney (“In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” which was adapted into “Moonlight”). Apparently, the story was actually based on the NBA lockout of 2011, but I do not recall any references to the year, in the film. It would seem that this subject matter, in particular, is new territory for both of these men. Therefore, it is an ambitious project, but these are superb moviemakers, so there is nothing staggering about this in anyone’s estimation, I would presume.

Andre Holland is Ray Burke (“A Wrinkle in Time”), the agent. The prominent player he is representing is Melvin Gregg as Erick Scott. Not only do you see what an agent potentially goes through, especially during the hard times of a lockout, but we also see some of the intricacies of life off the court for a young NBA star. Again, this is material that does not get explored very often in the film industry.

Throughout the movie, one of the most notable details is the way it was shot. There is a plentiful amount of wide shots and low angles. You will often see the characters close to the camera, especially when they are interacting with each other, while the surroundings show plenty of details in the background, from floor to ceiling, so to speak. Think of it as something comparable to watching players on a basketball court, going at it one-on-one, while a sizable crowd looks from afar.

The rest of the cast is made up of: Zazie Beetz (“Deadpool 2”) as Sam, an assistant to Burke and brief love interest for Scott; Sonja Sohn (“Domain”) as Myra, the head of the agency that Burke works for; Jeryl Prescott (“The Birth of a Nation”) as Emera Umber, the mother of another young basketball star; Justin Hurtt-Dunkley as Jamero Umber, the son of Emera; and special cameo appearances by Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe and Harry Edwards (among others).

There is a specific scene that I think is the most important to “High Flying Bird.” Burke is set to introduce Scott at an inner-city basketball program for the local youth and when Scott does not show up on time, it becomes crucial for Burke to kill some time by sharing a few thoughts with the kids. You can see the impact of Burke’s words as he delivers them, all over his face and in the faces of everyone present, including that of Spencer, played by the immortal Bill Duke (“Mandy”), the coach at the gym and perceived mentor to numerous characters in the story.

“High Flying Bird” will get people’s attention for its intriguing cast and unique subject matter. The writing is clever and has some memorable lines and verbiage, but the performances are mainly under-stated and not particularly dynamic. I found the inclusion of short interviews with real NBA players to be more of a distracting interjection to the overall story than a useful injection, personally. Certain performances and moments in the plot stuck with me and provided me with enough to keep my attention, especially in the later stages of the movie. If you want something more action-packed and exciting, look elsewhere, but if you are willing to pay attention to the dialogue and invest in a narrative that is mostly uncharted, then you will probably find a similar level of enjoyment as the majority of viewers apparently have. In the meantime, let us hope that we are a long ways away from the next NBA lockout.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Screenwriter: Tarell Alvin McCraney
Starring: Andre Holland, Zazie Beetz, Melvin Gregg, Sonja Sohn, Zachary Quinto, Kyle McLachlan and Bill Duke
Distributor: Netflix
Release: February 8th, 2019