Rez Ball movie review: A sports drama vividly encapsulating life in the Navajo Nation

Rez Ball still

Film: Rez Ball (Netflix)
Cast: Kauchani Bratt, Jessica Matten, Devin Sampson-Craig, Kusem Goodwind, Julia Jones
Director: Sydney Freeland
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 111 min

A significant sports drama inspired by true events, Sydney Freeland's film ‘Rez Ball' which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, tells the story of the Chuska High School Warriors, a basketball team from the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico.

Freeland teamed up with Sterlin Harjo for the script based on the nonfiction novel "Canyon Dreams." The narrative takes us through the course of one season, where we see the team battle personal hardships, lose their star player and yet band together striving for success on the basketball court in order to keep their quest for a state championship alive.

The director introduces us to the main characters - star player Nataanii Jackson (Kusem Goodwind), still reeling from the death of his mother and sister at the hands of a drunk driver a year earlier, Nataanii's best friend, Jimmy Holiday (Kauchani Bratt), who supports his single mother's income by working at a burger joint before school and Coach Hobbs (Jessica Matten), an ex-WNBA player who finds herself at the crossroads of her career.

Despite a fired-up season-opening game in which Nataanii carries the team to a victory in the season opening game but his heart is really not in it. Grief and survivor guilt have him totally entangled and its not long before he ends up taking his own life. News of his death shake the team to its core. Apparently, Reservations have some of the highest death-by-suicide rates in the country. Now that Nataanii is no longer available to lead the team, the onus falls on Jimmy who is appointed captain. The shift of perspective shakes you up enough to give the drama from hereon, full attention. Navajo traditions become the basis for the team's bonding exercises and Jimmy begins to see the value in it. Hobbs takes on the role of mentor, guide and coach.

This film's uniqueness lies in its veritable exploration of the complexities of life in the Navajo Nation. The music score with a mix of rap, hip-hop etc. manages to increment the excitement whenever required. It also aids in augmenting the emotional effects. Cinematography, production values & location filming aid in authentic cultural representation and an involving exploration of themes. This LeBron James-produced film also works as a homage showcasing the skills of young Native American kids.

The plotting feels a bit wayward but the main characters are well rounded. The team finds strength in embracing Navajo traditions. They call out their plays in their native language so that their opposing teams won't follow. There's a lot of sly self-deprecating humor floating around too. Harjo and Freeland strengthen the drama by contrasting the heavier moments against the humorous ones. The stylistic slo-mo shots of the basketball play make the experience thrilling. The actors do well to stay in character in the dramatic sequences and make creditable moves in the game ones. Though not perfectly structured, this is an emotionally enriching experience.