"On any given Sunday you're gonna win or you're gonna lose.
The point is - can you win or lose like a man?" - Tony D'Amato
Things are not looking good for football coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino). His team, the Miami Sharks, is on a losing streak. His star quarterback is out of commission for months from a severe injury. Meanwhile, the quarterback replacement is growing arrogant from sudden fame, while the team owner is threatening D’Amato to drop his outdated, old-school approach. Will D’Amato and his team able to keep it together till the end of the season?
Never liked sports movies, let alone American football ones. If it wasn't because of Oliver Stone and Al Pacino, I wouldn't have watched Any Given Sunday. Those who think Alexander wasn't really that bad (that includes you too, Mr. Stone) should check this one out, which is considered as one of Stone's "weaker" efforts. Alexander looks like sh*t standing next to this one.
Some quibbles: there are too much MTV flashy edits going on, like Tony Scott's Man on Fire, and it's cut in a way that you don't see any football strategy happening at all - you just assume those guys planned something really good during the game. Football fans will be pissed, but non-fans like me don't really care, as long as you can still figure out who's winning or losing. What's more important here is the drama. There are many good arguments about the conditions and problems of the game - how money-driven it has become, how sportsmanship is waning, sacrifices, losses, etc. It's like the football version of JKF.
Also surprised to see Jamie Foxx playing one of the leads here, and he's already pretty good at this point, pre-Collateral/Ray. Many other familiar faces here, including Cameron Diaz (she's good here), LL Cool J (also good), Matthew Modine from Full Metal Jacket, James Wood (doing his usual weaselling character), Dennis Quaid (good also), Elizabeth "Showgirls" Berkley, Lauren Holly from Dumb and Dumber, Charleton Heston in a pointless cameo, the guy from Scrubs, and even Oliver Stone himself. But the real stars of this one are Pacino and Stone. Stone wrote a pretty good story here that is rarely boring, while Pacino is so good I honestly believe he could have been a really spectacular coach in real life. Surprised to say it, but I'm definitely recommending this one. - BMF |
