Directed By Ric Roman Waugh

Starring – J.K Simmons, Alexander Ludwig, Kristin Chenoweth

The Plot – Follows star quarterback, LeMarcus James (Stephan James) who ignites a players strike hours before the biggest game of the year in order to fight for fair compensation, equality and respect for the student-athletes.

Rated R for adult language and sexual references throughout

national champions trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

With a measly 9-million-dollar budget at his disposal, juggernaut action director Waugh works overtime in supplanting a sleek presentation that keeps audiences from constantly being reminded of a cheapness in product that lacks the big-name studios behind its prominence. Part of this appeal certainly stems from the abundance of athlete cameos and sponsoring product placement that he meticulously disperses throughout the film’s duration, but for my money, so much more respect should be paid to cinematographer Khalid Mohtaseb, who immerses us in a broadcasting perspective in the same way we’re watching the drama play out before our eyes and screens in real time. In this aspect, Mohtseb certainly cements himself as a student of the game who has undoubtedly done his homework on the sport, combining overhead drone footage and corresponding video packages to play towards a seamless execution of network production that replicates authenticity seamlessly. Besides style, the provocative nature of the material itself solidifies no shortage of thought-provoking commentary, particularly in the boundaries and business model of college sports, and how a model producing billions for networks and campuses alike can spare so little towards the athletes who put their bodies on the line week after week, with only a minimalist promise of greener pastures once they turn pro. Characterizing these arguments are an A-list ensemble, which brings forth more satisfaction than disappointment, especially in the trio of James, Simmons, and even Uzo Aduba, whom I felt stole the show during several long-winded sequences of passionate dialogue, while embodying an antagonist of sorts with a closer connection to the argument than she initially puts forth. As for James and Simmons, the chemistry in bond permeates an overhanging uneasiness between them, made all the more anxious with James’ cunning intellect playing opposite of Simmons familiar fiery registry. The latter isn’t quite to the fourteen scale he reached during 2014’s “Whiplash”, but certainly doesn’t feel any less effective here with a solid eight.

NEGATIVES

Not everything is up to standards, however, as the script itself is mauled by a convoluted essence in execution that not only takes too much focus and urgency away from the integrity of the debate at the forefront of the narrative, but also requires audiences attaching additional baggage of character motivations and exposition, as late as the last ten minutes of the film. By this point, the goal becomes obscured as it gives way to a more personal conflict between sides, leaving us with a resolution, or lack thereof, that continuously writes itself into a corner of unfulfilled expectations, and one that will inevitably damn matters towards the entirety of the experience feeling inconsequential. For my money, there’s also one or two too many persistent subplots in the unraveling narrative that not only add very little to the dynamic of the power struggle taking shape in the foreground of the story, but also drastically hinder the urgency in the pacing, which makes two days in the lives of these characters feel like twelve, in a race against the clock that never feels ticking in our experience. As for the technical spectrum, the sound design can occasionally feel fuzzy or muffled during key scenes of interaction distorting the dialogue. This certainly hindered my investment, but also presented the sole aspect of the production that feels limited by its budget, made even worse considering the movie is entirely dialogue-driven, and not including of in-game footage.

Overall

“National Champions” doesn’t quite reach the heights of some of the best films in the sports subgenre, but its provocative talking points about college athletes does throw more than a few endearing logs of interest into the proverbial fire, all the while constructing a dream team of familiar faces to pick up the proper yardage necessary to tread through some murky waters of convoluted storytelling. With a more concise and profound punch in a connecting climax, the film could’ve crossed the goal line of expectations in its approach, but as it stands, settles for three just to get on the board.

My Grade: 6/10 or C