However, Omotoso hits his climax and final act on the head. Some of the sequences with the family struggling for stability felt redundant, and the film would have benefited from a tighter edit. Moreover, without dwelling on the injustices the family faces, Omotoso criticizes the eroding immigration systems across the globe and the inhumanities that people face as a result.Īdmittedly, 'Rise''s near 120-minute runtime feels quite lengthy at some points, especially since the audience already knows how it's all going to end. Okeniyi and Badaki's performances are particularly impactful as two hardworking and proud people determined to make a better life for their five sons. Their immigration status and lack of finances are threaded throughout the narrative, but they are always shown in vibrant colors against a modest but warm background. Instead, the film's real star is the Antetokounmpo family unit. Unlike many sports films, the actual game isn't the true star here. Yet, he never dwells on these dark aspects of the narrative-this story is about family bonds and the determination to see a nearly impossible future.Īs newcomers, the Agada brothers do a good job here, and the film spotlights things like Giannis' birth in 1994 and a fateful moment in the park when he first became intrigued by the game of basketball.

However, in showcasing Charles and Vera's journey from Lagos to Istanbul and eventually Athens, award-winning Nigerian film director Akin Omotoso refuses to shy away from the racism, xenophobia, humiliation, and everything else the two encounter. So often, Disney films smooth over some of the uglier bits that plague human society.

Their parents, Charles and Vera Antetokounmpo ( Dayo Okeniyi and Yetide Badaki, respectively), make the harrowing choice to leave their homeland for Greece, leaving their firstborn infant son behind with relatives. The Antetokounmpo brothers' story begins in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1990. Real-life brothers Uche and Ral Agada portray Giannis and Thanasis, respectively. Through their family's determination, faith, tenacity, and work ethic, they rose above their circumstances and hardships to become sports phenoms and household names. The film chronicles the early lives of the Greek-born brothers of Nigerian descent. Executive produced by Giannis 'Greek Freak' Antetokounmpo, 'Rise' follows the story of the NBA star and his brothers, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Kostas Antetokounmpo.

Rise & Fall by Charlie Cochet