if spike lee weren't so self-absorbed , he would probably be one of the best filmmakers around today . instead , he gets caught up in camera tricks , mood lighting , and abrupt editing in an apparent attempt to keep any audience so confused trying to figure out what he is doing that they cannot become emotionally involved in his films . he got game , the latest spike lee joint features nbaer ray allen as jesus shuttlesworth , the top high school basketball player in the country . as he is pondering his future after graduation , he is surrounded by friends and family trying to help him with his decision without really looking out for his own best interest . among those trying to help is his father , jake , played by denzel washington , who has been temporarily released from the state penitentiary under orders to get jesus to sign with the governor's alma mater . unlike most movies that star pro athletes , he got game does not fail because of allen's acting shortcomings . he , and the other pro basketball players featured in the film , are surprisingly solid . instead , the film comes up short primarily because lee does not allow the audience to get involved with the characters until the last half-hour of the film . lee's obsession with technical gadgetry in this film represents a disturbing trend in his work . where in earlier films like do the right thing and malcolm x , his unconventional camera moves and effects only seemed to come in when we least expected them to heighten the emotion , in more recent films like clockers and he got game , lee's effects serve to keep us at arms length . despite this apparent formalism through the majority of the film , he got game still contains a strong emotional power near the climax , when lee finally lets up on the effects . spike lee is definitely a talented filmmaker , but if his next project is going to continue this trend toward formalism , i hope it's a music video . 
