Just noticed that I'm almost at the 100-review mark - whew!
You might have come across me (as ...
Just noticed that I'm almost at the 100-review mark - whew!
You might have come across me (as cswann) on dooyoo
Member since:12.10.2000
Reviews:100
Members who trust:12
When this movie was first released I missed it at the cinema, and was disappointed, as I try to see anything with Al Pacino in it, and “Any given Sunday” had received good reviews.
Now that I have seen it I have mixed feelings about it. Al Pacino is great in it, and it’s a typically detailed and lengthy movie from Oliver Stone, something which based on past experience should have been in its favour. But, I finished up not really enjoying it that much.
It’s a movie about American football, and a lot of the footage features stadium action, or backroom talk of tactics. Now it’s a game I can’t for the life of me understand, but I don’t think that’s was my problem with the movie – in fact, it’s a sport that offers lots of visual potential, and the game scenes are very exciting. There, and Cameron Diaz is reasonably effective as a hardnosed big-business entrepreneur, and there are good, although relatively minor, roles for James Woods and Dennis Quaid.
*** What was wrong with Any
Given Sunday? *** At 150 minutes, it’s too long. I think that it would have been possible to make a great movie with about 30 minutes lopped off it. The soundtrack. To start with, it works well, tracks from people like Gary Glitter, Moby and FatBoy Slim complement the football action. But there are simply too many songs, most of which serve no real purpose – except perhaps to foster the audience’s interest in the songs, (and sales) and I’d be very surprised if they are not Warner Brothers artists. (The movie is a Warner Brothers movie). The fast cutting. To begin with it’s great, complements the fast-action on the field, but after a while it gets annoying, with the scenes cutting from this to that and back again.
*** What did I like about Any Given Sunday”? *** The characterisation of the players, mostly black, is very good, and you get to understand what it is that drives them (off pitch as well as on). Also, the portrayal of race issues, even within the team, where there are some white guys who make the BNP look like pussycats, is realistic. This kind of conflict is presented as merely something that’s there, not a subplot that’s there to be resolved by the end of the movie. Al Pacino’s acting is superb. He plays a man who lives for football, and is entirely convincing. The way it exposes corruption within the corporate sport and media industries. The viewpoint that it’s all about money is forcefully put. Ironically, Stone also manages to point the finger at the film industry – as already mentioned, the number of music tracks featured in the movie is beyond a joke. I liked the movie trickery, such as the split screens, used to show some TV interviews, and also the way that, at one point, the movie itself turns into a pop promo video. Some might think it’s gimmicky, but it worked for me.
The plot is on the predictable side, but there are some surprises along the way. Many times, the movie whizzes by some quite momentous events, there’s very little time spent, for example on the “eye accident” scene. This all reflects what is a very fast-paced sport, I guess. Also, the scene where Cameron Diaz goes into the shower room to see ‘her’ team – the full frontal, naked men are not a real issue… unless of course you view it in terms of gender politics.
So, a movie that’s well-worth seeing, for many reasons, Pacino being the main one. But… there were things that annoyed me about the movie, and those things weren’t just niggles – they annoyed me a lot. A far from perfect movie, but the DVD gives us chance to redeem things a little…
15 certificate
There’s a special widescreen director’s cut DVD available, a 2 disc set (£15.99 from bensonsworld or amazon.co.uk) Then directors cut itself means that 11 minutes were cut, a different 5 minutes were added, and there are various edited sequences.
The extras include: - Deleted and extended scenes (The UK cut was 9 minutes shorter than the US cut – as I mentioned I thought the movie was far too long anyway – but I find this kinds of thing very interesting as DVD extras) - Jamie Foxx audition tape and screen test - Out takes - 27 making of documentary - Music videos (LL Cool J) - Commentaries from director Stone, which really do add to the viewing experience. There’s even a quiz, links to web sites, and a copy of the entire promotional website for the movie.
If you liked the movie, you'll LOVE the DVD, and even if like me you were only partially impressed by the movie, there's still plenty on the DVD that is well worth watching.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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
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
At 150 minutes, a film has got to be REALLY good to make it worthwhile.
FrenchCancan 11.03.2004 16:42
Great review.. Unlike you, I did not think that Any Given Sunday was worth watching at the cinema, however once on the small screen I try not to miss it.. Like you, I have very little understanding of American Football - why is it called football at the first place - if not that it is a misunderstood and badly planned form of rugby.. But I love the movie.. I though the insight and the characters were fantastic and the plot did not matter anymore. It is a bit of a joke, a bit informative, a bit realistic..
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 three games in a row ...
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 three games in a row ...
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
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]")
Mar 11th, 2004
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