Chiefs

B-

Directed by Daniel Junge

The sport documentary/social commentary film is a well worn cinematic standard which often produces satisfactory results. The biggest problem with this type of documentary, however, is that any such film, regardless of the sport, will invariably be compared to "Hoop Dreams" which was not only one of the finest American documentaries ever produced but probably one of the best American films period of the last two decades (yet the Academy felt fit to bypass it in favor of some piece of crap no one remembers anymore. Way to go, Hollywood!) Indeed, "Hoop Dreams" looms large in the world of sports documentaries and even moreso Hoops documentaries which leaves many viewers, myself included, watching a rather good little film like Chiefs waiting for the heartbreaking moment when we see the main characters father play a few minutes of pickup ball with his son before heading off to buy a crack rock in plain sight. Call it a case of chronic unrealistic expectations.

"Chiefs" follows two seasons of ball on a small native reservation in Wyoming. The documentary follows a number of players, all of whom have different personalities, different playing styles, and different views about life on the reservation. The film is a fairly straightforward sports documentary and follows the well trodden path of sports documentaries which mix sports and social issues and their impact on one another. This almost always make for some interestingg viewing and this is certainly the case in "Chiefs" insofar as we can palpably see the importance of basketball in keeping alot of kids motivated, focused, and ultimately sane on a reservation which holds rather bleak prospects for many of these young men. The most gratifying aspect of "Chiefs," however, is the filmmakers ability to present life on the reservation simply as it is, in all its complexity and with all its problems, without overreaching and delving into preachiness on the plight of America's native population. Ultimately, "Chiefs" is very hopeful about the potential for Native youths to pull themselves out of poverty and succeed in life, something that is quite refreshing indeed.