A delightfully unrepentant Christian Dawkins guides us through yet another story about crimes that would not have been committed but for the actions of the FBI. This sort of law enforcement is reprehensible wherever it happens, but the FBI seems particularly prone to it. Furthermore, we learn that one of the agents who investi ... er ... instigated the matter possibly was committing crimes himself.
10 Reviews
Exposing what really happened in the 2017 NCAA basketball coaches bribery scandal
paul-allaer1 April 2020
"The Scheme" (2020 release; 119 min.) is a documentary about what really happened with the (in)famous NCAA basketball coaches bribery scandal in 2017. As the movie opens, we see Sean Miller, basketball coach at Arizona, deny in the strongest terms any involvement with Christian Dawkins. We then get introduced to Dawkins. "Are you a convicted felon?" he is asked. "Yes I am, and this is the first time I am telling the whole story." We then go back in time, as we get introduced to his upbringing in Saginaw, MI and the basketball pedigree in his family. By the time Dawkins is 17, he is already incredibly connected in the world of basketball... At this point we are less than 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is a new documentary from director Pat Kondelis ("Disgraced"). Here he digs into the 2017 NCAA scandal, and does so primarily by letting Dawkins tell his story and by using lots and lots of archive footage, including a bazillion wire taps. I remembered this scandal, which rocked the NCAA to its core, but didn't know of any of the details. The key issue (and I'm not spoiling anything here) is why and how anyone thought that paying/bribing coaches would ensure certain kids ended up at certain schools (as opposed to: paying the kids directly to convince them to attend a certain school). That is the heart of the matter, and wait until you see this play out in the documentary. I think you will be surprised. I know I was.
"The Scheme" premiered this week on HBO and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming services. If you are a fan of college basketball, or simply are interested in a good true crime story. I'd readily suggest you check this out on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is a new documentary from director Pat Kondelis ("Disgraced"). Here he digs into the 2017 NCAA scandal, and does so primarily by letting Dawkins tell his story and by using lots and lots of archive footage, including a bazillion wire taps. I remembered this scandal, which rocked the NCAA to its core, but didn't know of any of the details. The key issue (and I'm not spoiling anything here) is why and how anyone thought that paying/bribing coaches would ensure certain kids ended up at certain schools (as opposed to: paying the kids directly to convince them to attend a certain school). That is the heart of the matter, and wait until you see this play out in the documentary. I think you will be surprised. I know I was.
"The Scheme" premiered this week on HBO and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming services. If you are a fan of college basketball, or simply are interested in a good true crime story. I'd readily suggest you check this out on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Worth watching, but one sided
edblackham26 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Of course, the director only showed what he wanted to show. But it makes the FBI and NCAA look silly. It was interesting to watch, and made me wonder what made the FBI go so hard, when the facts didn't add up. It made me really not like the two main coaches they had on tape. Arizona and LSU looked bad. I'd like to see another documentary on this done, but by a neutral party.
It's a 10 for any sports fan
wcsaunders10 April 2020
I'll make this short. If you're a college basketball fan and don't watch this, you'll be missing one thing that will either confirm or completely change what you think about the NCAA, the FBI and our judicial system. It's extremely well done and to true. I checked.
A Scheme by the FBI
tiger-4602915 April 2020
The Scheme gives great insight into the workings of the FBI. Whether racism or stupidity drove this effort by amateurish FBI agents is beyond us duped tax payers. The FBIs own wire taps paint Christian Dawkins as a pawn that wouldn't play along to implicate basketball coaches who openly lied about their behavior in paying student athletes. Should be some embarrassing conversations in those Athletic Dept.
Snitch Bait
jasonbalakier1 April 2020
Christian Dawkins puts on a massive self-aggrandizing affair where he skirts blame, takes credit AND offers no resolution to the problem which he's a direct problem of.
There's been corruption in NCAA basketball for decades, but this guy thinks he's owed something or holds himself beyond it.
Interesting to see what the curtain pulled back, just hard to care when the person doing the pulling has an agenda.
There's been corruption in NCAA basketball for decades, but this guy thinks he's owed something or holds himself beyond it.
Interesting to see what the curtain pulled back, just hard to care when the person doing the pulling has an agenda.
VIEWS ON FILM review of The Scheme
burlesonjesse510 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Who are the good guys here?" Obviously the filmmakers who bring to life the underbellies of NCAA basketball in The Scheme. "Scheme" is a fervent documentary that contains plenty of adult language in the form of F-bombs. It gives being tactful and reserved the middle finger and yup, it's my latest review.
The Scheme is well, about a scheme. A pseudo scheme if you will. It's a yarn where only the sufferers and bystanders were interviewed (not the b-ball coaches, the US attorney, or the FBI). This docu, which is rather blunt in the way in which it tells its story, chronicles basketball insider Christian Dawkins. He was investigated (and convicted) for being involved with the paying of standout prospects to play hoops at the highest college level.
The Scheme, which gets its hands tied only to tell one side of the tale, is a cleanly, streamlined flick that only the highly production-valued HBO could come up with. I've always fancied documentaries, I'm a sucker for controversy, and I'm originally from Michigan. "Scheme" is about a Michigan dude and Dawkins came from one of the most successful basketball meccas in the entire state (Saginaw High School).
"Scheme's" director (Pat Kondelis) is well-versed in the telling of factual record. He shoots the docu with a raw and unfiltered feel. There are uncensored probes from everyone involved (Dawkins, his lawyer, his parents, various sports writers), slow-motion re-enactments, wiretapped conversations, and caught on camera deals. The film is packed with info so you have to pay attention as everything comes to a revelatory head at the end.
All in all, you don't see a ton of basketball playing footage in The Scheme. You just take in a lot of behind the scenes stuff. It's fascinating and monetarily layered, like Moneyball gone dark. Rating: 3.5 stars.
The Scheme is well, about a scheme. A pseudo scheme if you will. It's a yarn where only the sufferers and bystanders were interviewed (not the b-ball coaches, the US attorney, or the FBI). This docu, which is rather blunt in the way in which it tells its story, chronicles basketball insider Christian Dawkins. He was investigated (and convicted) for being involved with the paying of standout prospects to play hoops at the highest college level.
The Scheme, which gets its hands tied only to tell one side of the tale, is a cleanly, streamlined flick that only the highly production-valued HBO could come up with. I've always fancied documentaries, I'm a sucker for controversy, and I'm originally from Michigan. "Scheme" is about a Michigan dude and Dawkins came from one of the most successful basketball meccas in the entire state (Saginaw High School).
"Scheme's" director (Pat Kondelis) is well-versed in the telling of factual record. He shoots the docu with a raw and unfiltered feel. There are uncensored probes from everyone involved (Dawkins, his lawyer, his parents, various sports writers), slow-motion re-enactments, wiretapped conversations, and caught on camera deals. The film is packed with info so you have to pay attention as everything comes to a revelatory head at the end.
All in all, you don't see a ton of basketball playing footage in The Scheme. You just take in a lot of behind the scenes stuff. It's fascinating and monetarily layered, like Moneyball gone dark. Rating: 3.5 stars.
A Public Relations Video For Christian Dawkins
AmericanKestrel2 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is an extremely agenda-driven documentary that attempts to paint Christian Dawkins as a hapless victim of the FBI run amuck. It goes to great lengths to point out all the mistakes made by the FBI and the US Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York - and they made a lot of mistakes. But the information presented is heavily biased to highlight the details showing how weak the government's case was, and also to show the fact that the main FBI agent on the case misappropriated FBI funds during the undercover operation. It is also heavily biased in allowing Dawkins to present all the usual excuses people use when they're caught breaking laws.
Dawkins was convicted for crimes he clearly committed, even though an argument can rightly be made that the FBI should have used their resources on other investigations involving bigger violations by more powerful people. Dawkins is heard at length talking about how the focus on him was illegitimate because the colleges involved are corrupt and violate the laws more often than he does, because the FBI undercover agents were pushing him so hard to break the law, and because he didn't follow through with some of the crimes he promised to commit at various times during the investigation. He even makes the argument that the government was racially biased in charging him and the coaches charged in the case. There is no comment at all about how irrelevant these excuses are to the issues involved, and the crimes he was charged with.
The most dishonest argument in the documentary is saved for almost the end, when Dawkins claims the entire operation that ensnared him was "entrapment." There is no comment explaining the simple fact that giving someone an opportunity to commit a crime is not entrapment. Forcing someone to commit a crime is entrapment - but that didn't happen to Dawkins. When Dawkins is asked at the end whether he did anything wrong, his answer clearly indicates that he doesn't believe he did. This is the only really honest moment in the documentary, and it doesn't reflect well on Dawkins. The attempt to paint him in a good light ends up making him, and the makers of this film, look very dishonest to anyone who knows anything about the law, and ethical behavior. The fact that the government also looks bad here doesn't improve the overall integrity of the presentation.
Dawkins was convicted for crimes he clearly committed, even though an argument can rightly be made that the FBI should have used their resources on other investigations involving bigger violations by more powerful people. Dawkins is heard at length talking about how the focus on him was illegitimate because the colleges involved are corrupt and violate the laws more often than he does, because the FBI undercover agents were pushing him so hard to break the law, and because he didn't follow through with some of the crimes he promised to commit at various times during the investigation. He even makes the argument that the government was racially biased in charging him and the coaches charged in the case. There is no comment at all about how irrelevant these excuses are to the issues involved, and the crimes he was charged with.
The most dishonest argument in the documentary is saved for almost the end, when Dawkins claims the entire operation that ensnared him was "entrapment." There is no comment explaining the simple fact that giving someone an opportunity to commit a crime is not entrapment. Forcing someone to commit a crime is entrapment - but that didn't happen to Dawkins. When Dawkins is asked at the end whether he did anything wrong, his answer clearly indicates that he doesn't believe he did. This is the only really honest moment in the documentary, and it doesn't reflect well on Dawkins. The attempt to paint him in a good light ends up making him, and the makers of this film, look very dishonest to anyone who knows anything about the law, and ethical behavior. The fact that the government also looks bad here doesn't improve the overall integrity of the presentation.
Misdirected bias.
philip-001973 April 2020
The Scheme appears to lack just that.
It's hard to determine what Kondelis is trying to achieve with this:
The inefficiency of law enforcement?
The corruption of sport?
The, relative innocence of Christian Dawkins?
Despite not focusing on any given topic, the overall sensation is that The Scheme is lacking in a prerequisite for documentaries - objectivity.
Why take the viewpoint that Dawkins, who is obviously knee deep in a crooked system, should be the chosen voice to criticise said system?
There is an element of truth in the fact that he got hard done by in relation to his involvement - but a nuance of raw deal hardly makes for a great documentary.
If you're looking to criticise the system - do so. If you're using Dawkins to demonstrate a miscarriage of justice - there are thousands more deserving.
Despite not focusing on any given topic, the overall sensation is that The Scheme is lacking in a prerequisite for documentaries - objectivity.
Why take the viewpoint that Dawkins, who is obviously knee deep in a crooked system, should be the chosen voice to criticise said system?
There is an element of truth in the fact that he got hard done by in relation to his involvement - but a nuance of raw deal hardly makes for a great documentary.
If you're looking to criticise the system - do so. If you're using Dawkins to demonstrate a miscarriage of justice - there are thousands more deserving.
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