Any Given Sunday Review
by Donlee Brussel (thatrader AT my-deja DOT com)January 10th, 2000
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Cast: Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool J, Lawrence Taylor, Jim Brown, Bill Bellamy
Director: Oliver Stone
Screenplay: John Logan and Oliver Stone, based on "You're Okay, It's Just A Bruise" by Rob Huizenga, and "Playing Hurt" by Daniel Pyne Rated R
165 minutes
Review by Donlee Brussel
In the grand tradition of Tyler Durden and Frank T.J. Mackie, I give you the ultimate penis power spokesperson of the new millenium, Oliver Stone. Men's Journal calls him "the premier macho filmmaker of modern times." He's the main man behind the football movie to end all football movies, "Any Given Sunday."
What is it about football that intrigues America more than any other sport? Why of all sports do more than 100 million people watch football? Maybe because wrestling is faker than cubic zirconians, baseball's only exciting when you're drunk, hockey is Canadian and boxing doesn't allow ten guys to pile on top of opponents while their face is in the ground holding a football for dear life because if they don't keep the ball in their hands by the time the cameras or the ref comes, that $10 million dollar contract they just signed is void. With Oliver Stone, we know we will get one of the best sports films of the 90s as well as his name brand "cinematic masturbation" as my colleague James Berardinelli puts it.
"Fight Club is not football on television. You aren't watching a bunch of guys you don't know beating on each other halfway around the world via satellite with a two minute delay, commercials pitching beer every three minutes and applause now and then for station identification. After Fight Club, watching football on television was like watching pornography when you could be having great sex."
Today, Stone feels that the game is endangered: "I was talking to Jim Brown about it, and he says TV money has had a pervasive influence. Commercials interrupt the game's momentum. They have taken a one-hour game that was beautiful and original and turned it into a three-hour exercise in American style. It wrecks the concentration of the players."
Welcome to the playing field of "Any Given Sunday." Included in Stone's all-star line-up is Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), an over the hill traditional coach; Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz),his ball-busting team owner; Jack "Cap" Rooney (Dennis Quaid), the fallen legend quarterback; Willie Beaman (Jamie Foxx), his arrogant young replacement; Julian Washington (LL Cool J), the millionaire star running back; and Harvey Mandrake (James Woods), the mercenary team doctor. Here for support are Montezuma Monroe (Jim Brown), the defensive coordinator; Luther 'Shark' Lavay (Lawrence Taylor), a blocker; and Jimmy Sanderson (Bill Bellamy), the wide receiver.
They're all a part of the Miami Sharks family, and what a happy family they are! These guys are involved in the most family friendly things: drugs, greed, ageism, blackmail, racism, sexism, medical malpractice and my favorite, prostitution. Yes, we all know Stone has been directing subtle G rated family films like this for a long time. This one is especially noble because of a full frontal shot of a black football player that puts Marky Mark's prosthetic to shame.
"Any Given Sunday" also has the honor of being the most stylish MTV music video ever. Oliver uses just about every visual effect known to man while wigger music from DMX, Mystikal and Trick Daddy plays in the background along with "original" music composed by Casio keyboard demo user extraordinaire, Swizz Beatz. Also on the soundtrack are headbanger favorites from Kid Rock and Hole. Stone probably has the best team of editors working today because there is not a single dull moment in this film. From minute one Oliver throws us right onto the field, right into the game and never lets us off. Sadly, this is a prime example of a style over substance film.
Dialogue in this film sparkles with poignancy and the acting is strong. Al Pacino is at his intense best and Jamie Foxx provides a biting dramatic breakout performance. So where did "Sunday" go wrong? What happened? Clichés happened. Every sports film cliché is here. There's the torch handing between the seasoned veteran and the rookie phenomenon. There's the Big Speech before the Big Game which ends with the Big Play where we see the Big Clock letting us know that the player only has fill in the blank seconds left to make the Big Score during which, a Robin Williams-type score plays in the background. Worst of all, "Any Given Sunday" has a scene where it completely rips off "Jerry Maguire."
Do I recommend seeing "Any Given Sunday" despite the flaws? You betcha. It's the most realistic football film you'll ever see because all the hits are real, all the plays are real. "Sunday" is the closest you will ever get to the field without really being there.
© 2000 Donlee Brussel
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
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