Mark Reviews Movies: RISE (2022)

Rise, Disney+

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Review by Mark Dujsik | June 24, 2022

Even if four of the five Antetokounmpo brothers hadn't become professional basketball players, one easily could argue that their family's story would still be worth telling. Screenwriter Arash Amel wants us to understand that with Rise. This story tracks the course, not only of the early years of Giannis and Thanasis Antetokoumpo's shared basketball career and the former's first steps toward greatness, but also the day-to-day struggles and fears of the entire Antetokounmpo family, as they try to survive and just live something approaching a normal life as undocumented immigrants in Greece.

Director Akin Omotoso's film didn't have to be about that second part, and indeed, one could imagine how Giannis Antetokounmpo's role as an executive producer here might have steered the story in his direction. To be fair, the middle Antetokounmpo child and his career prospects do eventually become the focus of this narrative. Even when those elements start to form the foundation of the third act, though, this story remains about the entire family on a fundamental level.

That's in keeping with the philosophy of the sons' father, who insists that, when one member of the family succeeds, the entire family does, too. If footage of the most obviously successful Antetokounmpo speaking about his father during the film's coda is any indication, the star player probably wouldn't want to be involved in a movie if it only concentrated on his life, without acknowledging how vital his family's trials and sense of unity were to his success, his brothers' successes, and how all of that reflects the entire family's strength.

That aspect begins the entire story, as Charles (Dayo Okeniyi) and Veronika (Yetide Badaki) leave their home in Nigeria with the clothes on their back, a pair of suitcases, and a surname that will eventually undergo multiple changes from the original Adetokunbo (meaning "A king will come from across the sea," which scans as foreshadowing for anyone who has seen the couple's middle son play ball). They leave behind their firstborn son with the boy's grandparents, because the couple's planned journey—from their homeland, through Turkey, and finally into Greece—would be too perilous for an infant.

While Giannis (played as a child by McColm Cephas Jr. and as a teenager by newcomer Uche Agada) and Thanasis (played as young teen by Chinua Baraka Payne and as a young man by Ral Agada, also a newcomer and the real-life brother of his co-star) eventually become a focal point, this is their parents' story throughout. That's especially true in the early stages, as the two evade Turkish immigration authorities during a raid at the hotel where they're staying, get a lucky break to make their way into Greece on a bus, and establish an off-the-book residency in Athens.

Charles becomes a day laborer to pay the bills, and Veronika begins selling things to tourists on the streets to help. The four sons who are born in Greece (but legally aren't citizens)—Thanasis, Giannis, Kostas (Jaden Osimuwa), and Alex (Elijah Sholanke)—eventually help their mother hawk accessories in a plaza, and there's some amusement and admiration in how helpful those sales skills become when the older sons have to talk their way into a local youth club or, later, through the politics of the NBA Draft.

By the way, this isn't expressly a political film, but the very nature of these struggles, the couple's dealings with roundabout bureaucratic processes, the constant fear of being discovered by or reported to immigration officials, and the elder sons' witnessing of an anti-immigration protest intrinsically make it one, obviously. Every so often, we see other immigrant families being accosted or rounded up by those police forces, and if the Antetokounmpos' accomplishments and fame have brought any sense of pride to Greece, what could these families have done, if only given the chance?

Mainly, though, the story becomes a sort of shared biography of Charles, as he works and supports his older sons (He played soccer once and knows the drive, as well as the disappointment, of such a dream), and Veronika, as she also works and worries about the possible attention her sons' desire to play basketball might bring. Meanwhile, Giannis and Thanasis quickly develop a love of basketball by participating in a street game and, soon enough, join an out-of-the-way youth club to develop their skills.

Most of the material involving the sons fits into a certain routine of training montages and highlights of the duo's talents on the court in assorted games. The core of this story—about how family togetherness and support, as well as a lot of hard work and determination, can overcome a variety of obstacles—remains, though, and adds significant emotional weight to that formula. It comes in moments such as the two brothers exchanging the same pair of shoes on the sidelines, the way Thanasis keeps up his younger brother's spirits as he's still learning the game, and, when the older brother's own career hits a snag due to an injury, how there isn't a hint of resentment or jealousy in Giannis' moves toward professional status.

Rise is a wholly sincere film about one young man's hard work and dedication paying off in big ways, yes. On a deeper level, though, it's also a generous story that makes time for and cares about an entire family, as their own generous spirit suggests that the wealth of opportunity, love, and support can pay off for anyone—if only given the chance.

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