Oh "Disgraced," you curious documentary, you. Imagine a film that swings between eliciting gasps and yawns, like a tennis match between intrigue and ennui. Here lies a tale woven with the threads of scandal, sports, and a smidge too much courtroom drama that could have been replaced with, say, an interpretive dance sequence about the legal system. It's like going on a blind date with someone who promised thrills and mystery but turns out to just be really into their stamp collection. Entertaining? Sure. Earth-shattering? Not so much.
The documentary is okay in the way a sandwich you found in your backpack at 3 PM is okay. Not your first choice, but it gets the job done. "Disgraced" dives into the complex, convoluted, and downright chaotic story behind the Baylor University basketball scandal with the finesse of a cat trying to navigate a bathtub. It's all there: the intrigue, the interviews, the insinuations. But just when you think you're about to get to the juicy center, it pulls back, leaving you feeling like you've been left hanging on a high five. It's the cinematic equivalent of "it's not you, it's me" - a breakup line from a documentary to its audience.
Yet, in its defense, "Disgraced" manages to do what many documentaries aspire to but few achieve: it makes you think, even if it's just wondering whether you left the iron on. Between the lines of its okay-ness, it presents a narrative that's as gripping as it is frustrating, prompting a reflection on broader issues within sports and academia. So, as much as I jest, this documentary, with its 3.5 stars shining modestly, is akin to that one teacher who wasn't particularly inspiring but somehow left you with lessons you'd remember for years to come. It's okay, and sometimes, okay is just enough.
The documentary is okay in the way a sandwich you found in your backpack at 3 PM is okay. Not your first choice, but it gets the job done. "Disgraced" dives into the complex, convoluted, and downright chaotic story behind the Baylor University basketball scandal with the finesse of a cat trying to navigate a bathtub. It's all there: the intrigue, the interviews, the insinuations. But just when you think you're about to get to the juicy center, it pulls back, leaving you feeling like you've been left hanging on a high five. It's the cinematic equivalent of "it's not you, it's me" - a breakup line from a documentary to its audience.
Yet, in its defense, "Disgraced" manages to do what many documentaries aspire to but few achieve: it makes you think, even if it's just wondering whether you left the iron on. Between the lines of its okay-ness, it presents a narrative that's as gripping as it is frustrating, prompting a reflection on broader issues within sports and academia. So, as much as I jest, this documentary, with its 3.5 stars shining modestly, is akin to that one teacher who wasn't particularly inspiring but somehow left you with lessons you'd remember for years to come. It's okay, and sometimes, okay is just enough.