‘Power of the Dream’ (2024) Prime Video Review - Basketball and Bullies

The story that the documentary Power of the Dream chooses to tell is powerful and inspiring. We are told about the boldness, and fierce bravery with which the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) players spoke about social issues and stood up against the powers that be. They risked their career, and their paycheck to protect the structure of democracy. Their rebellious spirit makes sense, considering the amount of misogyny and backlash the WNBA has faced since its inception. A news reporter announces on TV that you shouldn't get too excited about this professional basketball league because it consists of women. A headline attacks the WNBA players by saying they don't deserve to be paid like NBA players. In circumstances like these, how can the WNBA just confine itself to sports and not politics?

Director Dawn Porter deliberately avoids giving us clips or highlight reels of the basketball matches. You can watch them online or attend the matches in person to see the players in action. Power of the Dream wants to celebrate the sportswomen for their audacity and strength on and off the field. They used their position to speak up against hate and injustice. They not only got themselves a contract that allowed them benefits like paid maternity leave but also went all out to display their stance on hate crimes by wearing clothes that either had words like "Black Lives Matter" or bullet shots painted on the backside. The aim was to use their platform to raise awareness regarding incidents involving Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Their greatest achievement, Power of the Dream informs us, had something to do with getting a senator elected. The girls resonated and agreed with Reverend Raphael Warnock's voice, which led to a conflict between them and Kelly Loeffler, who was the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA at that time. Warnock found a sudden increase in his popularity, thanks to the basketball players, and we know what happened next. In this election year, a documentary like Power of the Dream aims to remind everyone that they should go out and vote for the right people if they want to live in a safe society. It reopens old wounds and refreshes our memory so that we don't end up making the same mistakes twice.

All that's fine, but Power of the Dream appears feeble in terms of filmmaking. It goes through your usual motions that are generally found in documentaries - highs followed by lows followed by highs, and so on. Porter gathers all the material and dispenses them unimaginatively through talking heads, clips, and video recordings. As a result, you see the brilliance of the subject on the screen but never feel it. This documentary about ambitious basketball players needed an equally ambitious filmmaking team.

Final Score- [5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times