Having remained an email address for perhaps too long, time to flesh out the profile.
Having remained an email address for perhaps too long, time to flesh out the profile.
Member since:04.08.2000
Reviews:39
Members who trust:6
As with other ops that were written in my early days, this one deserves to be rewritten to give a somewhat fuller appreciation of the film in question. My original review, whilst not stomach-churningly bad, somewhat lacked a little depth, so here goes yet another foray into a field where my conspicuous lack of success in obtaining reads and providing half-decent ops remains a constant puzzle to me.The original review remains at the end of its update.
OLiver Stone, reknowned for biopics that are often very lengthy (JFK,Nixon) and oddball pieces (U-Turn,Natural Born Killers) is very much a director with his own 'brand' of film. The halting, over long Nixon in particular was a film much panned by the critics, but one which I enjoyed.No doubt there were historical inaccuracies galore in the three hour marathon, but how many film reviewers can claim to be entirely accurate in everything they write. It was with some eagerness that I went into the cinema two years ago to watch this film, although the critics had given it somewhat mixed reviews.
Story -----
The story, which is somewhat predictable,centres around the fictional American Football team,the
Miami Sharks. As soon as the film starts we hear Coach Tony Demarco (Al Pacino) shouting 'F**k' as his quarterback Cap Rooney (Dennis Quaid) is put out of the game. He is replaced by the second string, who is then promptly injured and is forced to turn to his 'mystery man' Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx). Presiding over the franchise is beautiful owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) wh has inherited the team from her late father,a close friend of Demarco.The film follows the fate of the team through the latter half of the season, into their playoff encounter, where the team emerges triumphant, although it would not be a Stone film without a twist in the tail over the closing credits.
This is obviously a somewhat brief summary of a film of 150 minutes length, but I feel that a blow by blow account would be both mindbendingly tedious and would spoil the enjoyment of the film. One caveat voiced to me by several people is - 'I won't understand what's going on' beacuse Amerrican football is too complex. However, although my teenage years spent watching Channel four's American footy coverage enable me to understand some of the technical jargon, that jargon is kept to a minimum. Don't let the subject matter put you off!
Soundtrack -----------
A full soundtrack for this movie would almost certainly be a triple album, but the music tends to fit in nicely with the scenes, as Stone uses the soundtrack to create moods which befit what is going on on the screen. I have not actually seen the soundtrack available in the shops, but would be interested in what tracks are selected (If you don't believe me see the closing credits - I estimate upwards of fifty of them)
Acting -------
Stone tends to choose his characters wisely. Obviously many cynics would argue that most blokes are watching a film with Cameron Diaz in it for only one reason, but she plays the part of the bitchy know-it-all owner at odds with her long in the tooth coach very well. Al Pacino is a first rate actor, a man with so many classics to his name it seems futile to list them here. Suffice it to say, although not his best performance ever, he is perfect for the part of the coach. His speech before the final game was a paean to middle-aged men everywhere.
Other actors pop up with fine performances. I was particularly impressed with Both James Woods and Matthew Modine (the former played Kissinger brilliantly in Nixon) who are at loggerheads over the ethics of dealing with injured players. Stone also uses two ex-players,Jim Brown as the defensive co-ordinator and Lawrence Taylor, to add authenticity. All in all, a stellar cast with considerable depth.
Was it any good? ----------------
I thoroughly enjoyed it although its length might annoy people who prefer greater action. At no point did my interest tail off, and I was captivated by a film which was well-produced,well-directed and well acted. It failed to garner as much box-office success as I think it deserved but is certainly a better film on an American football related theme than last year's 'The Hurricane'.All in all, thoroughly recommended as a video release.Watch it!
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Oliver Stone ventures into the world of sports with this piece follwoing the tribulations of the Miami Sharks and their head coach, played by Al Pacino. As the film begins, his ageing quarterback ( Dennis Quaid) is knocked out of the game, and although his inexperienced replacement ( Jamie Foxx) does well enough, it is insufficient to prevent the Sharks being beaten.
The film then follows Stone's habitual pattern of the prinipal being forced into reflections on lost youth, his failures and trhe uncertainty surrounding his future. PAcino is excellent (As always) as the coach, and there are star turns from Cameron Diaz as the owner at loggerheads with the veteran playcaller and Foxx as the newly-arrived superstar who finally realises that talent is best utilised as a complement to, not a substitute for, experience. I would recommed this film to anyone, although to non-devotees of tyhe sport, it might be a little confusing
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Martin Brest - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Marcia Gay Harden, Jake Weber, Claire Forlani, Jeffrey Tambor
It is a Stone film through and through but the stunning perforance from the magnificent Pacino and one of the finest endings I've seen in a long time made this a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Great op. SB.
Oliver Stone'sAny Given Sundayis a massive 150-minute American football drama which, for ... more
all its ferocity and cynicism, is as soft-centred and clichéd as anyRocky-style underdogs-make-good crowd-pleaser. The Miami Sharks have lost threegames in a row a...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Oliver Stone'sAny Given Sundayis a massive 150-minute American football drama which, for ... more
all its ferocity and cynicism, is as soft-centred and clichéd as anyRocky-style underdogs-make-good crowd-pleaser. The Miami Sharks have lost threegames in a row a...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Life is a contact sport and football is life when three-time Academy Award-winning ... more
filmmaker Oliver Stone and a dynamic acting ensemble explore the fortunes of the Miami Sharks in 'Any Given Sunday'. At the 50-yard line of this gridiron cosmos is Al P...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Director's Cut, containing previously unseen footage. Life is a contact sport and football ... more
is life when three-time Academy Award winning filmmaker Oliver Stone and a dynamic acting ensemble explore the fortunes of the Miami Sharks in 'Any Given Sunday'...
Advantages: Storming cinematography, strong pace, great acting Disadvantages: might not like it as its about American Football, script a littel lacking compared to the other parts of the film
![Any Given Sunday [DVD] [2000]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78535561.jpg "Any Given Sunday [DVD] [2000]")
Dec 28th, 2000
(Sep 11th, 2001)
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