Directed by Kevin Welling, 2024’s ‘The Tale of Texas Pool’ is an energetic, riveting sports documentary. Featuring the absolute legends of the sport of billiards; Buddy Hall, Jeremy Jones, Fedor Gorst, Sky Woodward, Tyler Styer, and even Nick Varner himself; The Tale of Texas Pool shoots for the stars and manages to outdo its lofty aspirations.
Primarily composed of interviews with the all time greats as well as other legendary pool hustlers, the film tells the tales of the all-time greats; the longest running 9-ball tournament in the world, the Texas Open; and some unbelievable gambling stories. The stories may be fantastic and they are but the cast of characters assembled for this picture is something else entirely. These individuals, who have achieved so much in the field, bring energy and charisma to the story and their larger than life personalities perfectly suit the game that they have excelled in for decades.
A documentary should be first and foremost entertaining and this is where Welling’s film manages to mark its first of many successes. From its narrative pacing to its laying out of the plot, Welling ensures each aspect keeps the viewer’s attention. It also helps that most of his interviewees are extremely charismatic and to see them vividly explain some of the greatest moments they have personally witnessed in the game is a treat in and of itself. Thus, the rewatchability factor here is off the charts.
In addition, the direction is also more than adequate. Welling structures the entire documentary in a way that not only accentuates the stories but the characters as well. He knows which moments to focus on, which moments to ponder over and which moments to ground the plot on. Not only is he able to mesh the different interviews really well, he does it so effortlessly that he doesn’t really feel like a first time filmmaker. Not only is Welling the director but also the editor here and thus, he is able to keep the fluff to a minimum and the razor sharp editing ensures that there is not a single dull moment in the entire film. As a result, we are hooked on the story from the start and we want more when the entire documentary whizzes by in no time.
Visually speaking, the film bursts out of its own shell soaring. The cinematography is good and the deep hues give the film a distinctly unique look. The cinematographer has done a fantastic job ensuring that specific moments look and feel as organic as possible and those real, authentic moments of legends as they narrate their stories look as energised and unpredictable as possible. Not only does this help keep the film apart from dozens of similar films in the market, it also makes for an exciting and novel viewing.
Another aspect that works really well here is the sound design. The sound mixing team has done a terrific job here, invoking a true sense of wonder as the legends dive deep into their legendary stories. The score, although a bit lowkey, is great as well and it manages to pump up the screenplay in a way that helps the narrative. Thus, The Tale of Texas Pool is a worthwhile documentary, one that manages to pay a stunning tribute to the craft as well as to the legends that have elevated the game itself. For a first time filmmaker, Kevin Welling has made a terrific film which not only hits all the right notes but also manages to be thematically resonant. The Tale of Texas Pool will thus make you fall in love with the game and might even convince you to take a couple of your friends down to the club and shoot some cues.
