Film Review Fridays - The Basketball Diaries
I know it’s unorthodox to review two films with the same star in such a short space of time, but after my review of Total Eclipse last week, I simply couldn’t help it. I’ve been kept awake at night by the thought that I deceived you, dear reader – I didn’t tell a lie, per se, but I did create the impression that no film of Leonardo DiCaprio’s has had so great an impact on me as Total Eclipse. And although it’s not wrong to say that said film has played a profound role in my life, it’s also not wrong to say the same of another of DiCaprio’s films, which means it’s now time to talk about The Basketball Diaries.
Similarly to Total Eclipse, The Basketball Diaries is the story of a truly extraordinary poet: in this case, Jim Carroll. Named after the novel Carroll wrote at 17, The Basketball Diaries is among the most harrowing films you will ever see. It follows Carroll in his descent from promising teenage basketball star to full-blown heroin addict, and showcases the raw, intoxicating poetry that Carroll honed in his youth and that eventually made him a star. Carroll’s writing is a core of this film, allowing viewers to connect with Carroll the poet at the same time as they connect with Carroll the basketballer, the troublemaker, and the addict. As well as showing how Carroll actually developed his poetry, the film showcases his work through voiceovers; harsh street life becomes transcendental when juxtaposed with the sparkling, breathtaking imagery of Carroll’s words.
The film's soundtrack goes even further in exposing viewers to Carroll’s extraordinary output, featuring as it does multiple songs by Carroll and his Jim Carroll Band. Most notable among these would have to be ‘People Who Died’, which upon its release in 1980 was something of a hit for Carroll and co., even being featured in such films as E.T. and, more recently, The Suicide Squad. In The Basketball Diaries, it joins songs by such diverse artists as The Doors and P J Harvey; these mesmerising, haunting songs ensure just about every scene in The Basketball Diaries is unforgettable.
Of course, the music isn’t the only thing that makes the film so gripping. In fact, it’s not even the main thing. I think I lack the vocabulary to appropriately discuss how excellent Leonardo DiCaprio is in this film. As Jim Carroll, he is electric, perfectly balancing the brooding – but never melodramatic – intensity of the young poet with the helpless, desperate rage of the addict, at all counts believable and entirely compelling. The film also features Mark Wahlberg in only his second ever film role post-Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, and although he’s not the star, he’s similarly watchable. His Mickey (one of Jim’s high school friends) is hard-edged, confident and restless. All of Jim’s gang are well-cast, in fact; each holds their own as a unique and authentic character. Honourable mention must also be made of the real Jim Carroll, who appears in the film only briefly, but nonetheless leaves viewers with the lasting sensation that they’ve been in the presence of someone truly extraordinary.
As outstanding as the film is, I do need to make it clear this isn’t an easy watch. Despite DiCaprio’s status as a teen heartthrob, there’s no mistaking The Basketball Diaries for anything less than an entirely serious piece of cinema that most certainly should not be watched by young people hoping to avoid having a film remain with them for the rest of their lives. The Basketball Diaries doesn’t shy away from any of the distressing realities of Jim Carroll’s life, and I, for one, am still affected by my first viewing of it at thirteen.
With that said though, again, if you are interested in watching it, I can’t recommend The Basketball Diaries highly enough. It’s profound, charismatic, and mesmerising, and in introducing so many to the striking poetry of Jim Carroll, it offers viewers an extraordinary gift. And although it’s hard to believe I’m saying this about such a harrowing film, it wouldn’t be a surprise if after watching this, you find you want more; the best part is that the book The Basketball Diaries offers exactly that. Certainly, it’s been one of my favourites ever since I read it, and like Total Eclipse, The Basketball Diaries – both movie and book – is an outcome of my youthful Leonardo DiCaprio obsession I couldn’t be more grateful for.
