Gunnin' for That #1 Spot (2008)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

So much average

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It's almost hard to believe that this kind of film, so focused on the livelihood and future of a couple of teenagers, could actually ignore emotion completely. A very important topic, not completely neglected, just not focused on as much as I thought was necessary. I just thought it numbed how much emotion is actually put into these basketball players' games. From what I perceived from the film, basketball was most likely going to be these kid's main means of support. So what was to happen if they lost? Without the emotion of the players how are we supposed to relate to the film and genuinely understand how much basketball means to them? Not a complete miss, the characters were well explained otherwise, with statistics and coach support, also explaining how competitive High School basketball is. As a documentary you are allowed to get so personal with your subject, which is something the film COULD have accomplished easily.

One of the highlights is the goofy color commentator who gives nicknames to all the players, comments on their shoes, begs out loud for someone to bring him free food and drinks and complains that his microphone is soaked with spit. The other highlight is one of the "coaches" who tells his team of all-stars "Africa has AIDS. We have a case of the 'Me' disease." Otherwise this movie is not worth seeking out. The opening sections where they go into the backgrounds of the players are boring. Nothing on the level of Hoop Dreams, or even of a quality of a halftime show of the players' lives. I have to add one more line to get this published.

The release of Hoop Dreams in 1994 set the standard for basketball documentaries. It depicted the lives of two young men on their journey to fulfill their "hoop dreams," discussing their victories as well as the challenges in their way. No film has since had the same impact; Hoop Dreams was the Michael Jordan of basketball films. So who are the Lebrons, the Carmelo Anthonys, the Chris Pauls? Hoop Dreams has had no match, no counterpart until Oscilloscope's Gunnin' For That #1 Spot. Gunnin' documents eight of the nation's top-ranked high school basketball players as they travel to the first-ever Elite 24 basketball game at the famous Rucker Park in Harlem, where legends have been known to be born. Between astonishing clips of high school games, where senior Kevin Love breaks the glass dunking, and interviews with coaches, trainers, critics, and family, the boys tell us about themselves, their hopes, their game, why they play. It is clear from listening to them talk that they are typical teenage boys who go to regular schools and have regular lives, except one thing; they are the nation's top high school basketball players of any age, and they're almost famous. As the story moves on from getting to know them, their lives, and their game, we become as eager for the Rucker game as the boys themselves, trying to anticipate who will shine. In Harlem, the boys spend three days together, practicing with NBA trainers and being showered with freebees as companies try to snatch the boys up for endorsement early. The game is not a high school game, and these great eight are not just high school players. Dunk after dunk, windmills and swooshes from across the court, the Rucker game brings the excitement of every slam dunk contest, the discipline of the basketball veterans, and renewed intensity reminiscent of Hoop Dreams. Gunnin' leaves us wanting more, hungry for slams dunks and anxious to see which one of these basketball phenoms will join the ranks, who will claim that number one spot.

An outstanding soundtrack that seems to magically enhance every single scene resonates throughout Adam Yauch's latest documentary exploration: Gunnin' for That #1 Spot. Following the formula for typical documentaries, Yauch examines eight high school basketballers vying for recognition, college scholarships and attention from the NBA. But while a few unique camera tricks are used to enhance the rudimentary questioning of family and friends, Gunnin's #1 nemesis is the same predicament far too many documentaries face: the subject matter. Highly appealing to those interested in the topic, the film never breaks into total entertainment for those not enmeshed in the frenzy and corrival nature of an elite game at Rucker Park.Eight high school kids, including Jarryd Bayless, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Kyle Singler and Tyreke Evans, are gearing up for an invitation to one of the most prestigious basketball events in the nation. The Elite 24 pits the top talents all around the U.S. against each other in a competitive game of basketball at the famed Rucker Park. Where Reebok, Adidas, and Nike have their own camps to harvest the best young basketball talent, The Elite 24 doesn't separate players based on their shoes. It is an all-out battle between the best of the best in high school basketball.Adam Yauch from Beastie Boys fame directs Gunnin' for That #1 Spot with a standard documentarist feel for material. From the generic opening title sequence with painfully low-budget graphics, to the commonplace hand-held camera-work, there really isn't anything technically outlandish to witness. Yauch uses a fisheye lens for visual flair in an impressive aerial shot above New York, but then proceeds to overkill the idea by utilizing it for every other subsequent shot.The most exciting moments, including the shattering of a backboard at a high school game, are home video footage from the bleachers, and are unfortunately incredibly grainy. While more of these exhilarating moments would have been gladly welcomed, the low quality of such archives detracts from truly focusing on the amazing talents of these young men.The most impressive aspect of Gunnin' for That #1 Spot is the soundtrack. Blazing hip-hop, smooth jazz, break beats and heavy rhythmic clips permeate the documentary and manage to make each skilled maneuver just that much more awe-inspiring. But like so many documentaries, Gunnin' suffers from the fact that its subject matter appeals to a very distinct group, and doesn't have the power to transcend to other demographics. With the inspiring notion that these kids are as young as 15 years old, the hilarious nicknames, the brightly colored shoes, overbearing agents, questionably experienced professional analysts, pressures of the media and an abrupt conclusion, Gunnin' for That #1 Spot is enlightening and entertaining, but tragically too narrow.Mike Massie