Kobe Bryant's Muse

As a documentary filmmaker I must say that this is a very well made film. From a filmmaker view the film did a great job at providing a clear storyline. I really enjoyed going from present to past, interlocking the injury recovery of Bryant and his life. The black and white color choice was a great one for the present part of the film. I hadn't really been a fan of Kobe Bryant because he was so good that he just came across as a very cocky individual. After watching this film and learning of all that he was going through in his career and personal life I can now say that I am a fan of Kobe as a person. I felt that he did a very good choice on being honest in his thoughts. I do feel that the sexual assault part of his life was danced around and those that don't know of that will be a little confused when that part of the film is discussed during the year of 2003. For him being as honest as he was with everything else, I do feel that there would have been a stronger impact on the film if he hadn't danced around that part, but had attacked it straight on as he did with everything else. This left me inspired to be a better person and to understand why the Kobe Bryant I have seen play basketball always was so cocky. A must watch.

Kobe Bryant's Muse is about what I expected. I must admit, I only developed an interest in the late legendary basketball player after his relatively recent untimely passing. He is indeed one of the greatest players to have ever played the game, and this movie does a good job of portraying some of the biggest obstacles he faced in his professional and personal life. I feel like I know more about his struggles on and off the court after watching this documentary.

The film's driving plot amidst the non-linear storytelling outlining Kobe's career and love for the game is his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon injury at the tail end of the 2012-2013 NBA regular season. The injury came to be the first of many that would ultimately lead to his retirement in 2016, the year after this film was released. This is an interesting although not entirely original approach. However, too much emphasis is placed on the injury, making the movie drag.

As stated by other reviewers, literally the only person interviewed is Kobe himself. This is a fresh approach to the sports documentary genre, although it would have been nice to have gotten other perspectives as well from people who watched Kobe grow. While he goes into great detail about his relationship with his wife Vanessa, his relationships with notable teammates (i.e. Shaq, Pau Gasol) and coaches (i.e. Phil Jackson) are left almost completely ignored.

From a cinematographic perspective, the movie offers an intimate portrait of the basketball legend. However, certain scenes of Kobe shooting baskets all alone that are supposed to be artistic and graceful come off as slightly boring. On the other hand, the editing, music, etc. Are all quite professional and in good taste.

Overall, while this film offers a glimpse into the factors that contributed to Kobe's passion for the game and incredible work ethic, I was hoping for more. In the context of his death, this movie could have explored much more. His achievements as an athlete and his overall legacy seen underplayed. But of course, none of the filmmakers at the time of this movie's production knew he would not be with us much longer. I would recommend this film to die-hard Kobe fans wanting to know more about the struggles he faced. I personally would not watch it again though.

Really hit different watching this after his passing, but overall great documentary.

"There is power in understanding the journey of others to help you create your own." As the documentary starts, those are the first words you see on the screen. Every word is delicately displayed but only for mere seconds. In fact, if you aren't really paying attention, you'll miss the message completely. It comes as quickly as it goes and in an instant, the screen fades to black. I believe that subtle detail in itself is deeply profound and prophetic in its own right; it deserves to be mentioned so that nobody misses it. There's enough we all have to mourn and miss right now. As for the documentary as a whole, I can only reflect and share my somewhat ambiguous but wholeheartedly genuine opinion as a lifelong fan of the game and KB. I feel like this documentary was extremely relevant, candid, authentic and more than "worth watching" when it initially aired. Watching it again, now, was difficult but also beautiful which elevated to a level that can't be sufficiently described in words unless, of course, those words are Kobe's. I'm glad I've been able to watch it twice and from two extraordinarily different mindsets. I'm glad because even though it's not my first time watching it, I'm fairly certain it'll be my last. I'd like to remember it as is and let it Rest along with Kobe and Gigi, In the sweetest Peace. So it goes. For those who haven't yet, I encourage you to watch this documentary and listen to Kobe tell his own story, in his own words as only KB can. I think we all know that nothing is truly guaranteed in life but I can guarantee this; it'll be more than worth watching whether it's your first, second, third, fourth or final time. For the love of the game, the story of a legend lost too soon, and the glory of his greatness that remains here with us; it truly is more than worth it. Trust me. 'Til we get there... In loving memory of Kobe Bryant and his beautiful Babygirl by his side still ballin' with him; we miss you, we love you, and we'll see you both in our Hoop Dreams. #RIP

I don't watch a ton of documentaries but I try to catch them when they concern things or people I'm interested in. So when I heard about the Showtime documentary involving Kobe Bryant, I knew I wanted to check it out. I have been a fan of him for a long time and specifically remember dropping 70-80 points with him in NBA 2k so I've been looking to find out more about his personal life and his road to being one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Most documentaries take the approach of finding many people close to the central figure in the story, and getting several interviews to comment on that particular person. Instead with 'Muse', we only get Bryant's story from his perspective. At first, I thought this would take away from the credibility of the piece, but it turns out it added to the emotional gravitas of the film. I will say when the film got less serious and focused on basketball, I would have liked former players, columnists, or coaches to shed some light on the Black Mamba. The film focuses a lot on his rehabilitation of his Achilles tear in the 2013 playoffs. It's an interesting approach and it's a great example of a man doing everything he can to keep fulfilling his dream. Kobe is a rare type of a player and person in the NBA. Him and Michael Jordan are two of the most competitive and relentless players the league has ever seen, and this documentary was a good template in showing those particular qualities.

Luckily the film used a lot of archive footage showcasing Kobe during his early years as a high school phenom in Philadelphia all the way up until his several championship years with the Lakers. It was also nice to see him open up about his personal problems throughout the film. You don't usually get to see that side of athletes and I'm glad they didn't set out to make Kobe a godlike creature, although anyone who scores as easily as he does is near godlike. So 'Muse' showed multiple facets of Kobe's life and gave us the best in depth look at his career yet. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Kobe or just loves basketball, and the road to becoming great.

+Kobe opens up

+Archive footage

+Different approach to doc

-Still wanted more interviews with other people involved

8.1/10