Through the Fire
Cinema Libre Studio | Release Date: February 10, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
An up-close, engaging and ultimately moving look at Telfair's family, his final high-school season and his decision to forsake college for the NBA. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
A highly satisfying documentary tracking the hoop dreams of basketball bright light Sebastian Telfair as he made that rare leap from high school all-star to NBA draft pick. Read full review
80
The New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis
Behind the cheering and popping flashbulbs of Through the Fire lurks another, much darker movie, one that questions the relationship between sneaker manufacturers and financially deprived kids with exceptional talent. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Superb, ultimately exhilarating account of Coney Island basketball phenom Sebastian Telfair's senior year at Lincoln High. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
It's hard to blame Telfair for letting his celebrity go to his head. If I were on the cover of Sports Illustrated in the 12th grade, there'd be no living with me either. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
Entertaining and compelling. Read full review
70
VarietyRonnie Scheib
Upbeat Urbanworld documentary prizewinner, full of strong personalities and crisply edited court action. Read full review
70
Village VoiceR. Emmet Sweeney
It's slickly shot and structured like a Bruckheimer sports weepie, but director Jonathan Hock also shows the image-production of Telfair as star. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyJames C. Taylor
Though some will see this fast-paced film as proof that hoop dreams really can come true, the real strength of Through the Fire lies in its careful, often indirect questioning of the moral universe of professional sports and big-money endorsements. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
It's a pleasure to see the articulate, disciplined Telfair succeed where so many other young men have failed, but ultimately his path to success is so smoothly upbeat that there isn't much urgency to it. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Through The Fire posits Telfair's good fortune as the belated fulfillment of Jamal's dreams and his family's desire to leave the projects, but it rarely gives a thought to the many thousands of gifted inner-city ballers who devote their lives to a goal that never materializes. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Fails to show indignation that rich white guys are trying to get even richer at the expense of a naive black kid from the ghetto. Read full review
40
Film ThreatPhil Hall
Through the Fire is a fraud masquerading as a documentary. Read full review
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