Directed by: Robert Bell III Written by: Robert Bell III Genre: Drama |
Hoop
A young boy find comfort in basketball. Practicing at every possible moment while watching old sports reruns on an old TV. He wants to follow in the footsteps of his father that he's never met, and his brother; who had the talent to go pro but suffered an injury. His mother constantly tells him to stop practicing with his ball and doesn't support his dreams or talent at all. Sound familiar?
The boy, Hoop Carter (Nysem Spurell) grows into a young man and is still following his dream. Basketball. In the city there's only one coach (Kevin J. Harris) to go to if you want to go pro and Hoop tries out. It's physically very tough, as you would expect from a sports drama. But Hoop is determined. Running flack against Hoop is his girlfriend, as his mother did when he was young. She doesn't really support him but it seems more of a case of reminding Hoop that basketball isn't everything. This is especially the case when he gets hurt, she cautions him to slow down. But still Hoop presses onward and continues to pursue his one true dream. How will it all end? Hoop looks like a micro budget film because it is one. In all seriousness though, it's one of the better ones I've seen. Robert Bell II has put some thought and care into his baby and even though the audio is a little glitchy and the video is far from perfect; the story comes across for it's audience. The narrator definitely helps. There are some issues with length and adding far more than was needed to the story. But overall I enjoyed this short film. It's nothing new. Nothing you've never seen before; but it doesn't claim to be reinventing the genre. Bell goes with what works and mostly pulls it off. Is Hoop the perfect sports drama? No. Is it watchable and maybe even enjoyable? I think so, and as such am awarding this short film a 2.5 stars. Worth checking out when you have the time to spare and for the cast and crew, a thumbs up. Thank you for reading. |
