another masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2001)

"Any Given Sunday" keeps the unmistakable style of Oliver Stone, especially seen in Natural Born Killers, transporting it this time in the new, agitated, full of events world of american football.
Al Pacino is the coach of a football team, owned by the greedy Cameron Diaz, team that passes through difficult times, after 4 consecutive defeats and the injury of the best 2 quarterbacks. In this moment enters Beaman (Foxx), the "always substitute", and he doesn't miss the unexpected chance awarded by the coach. By his style of play, spectacular, but not caring about the tactics and the schemes, he wins the heart of the fans, but enters in the disgrace of the coach.
The world of football is an eternal source of stories or problems that can be used in a movie. After he showed us wars, from many points of view, the murder of JFK, the agitated history of The Doors, or the satire against the media in Natural Born Killers, Oliver Stone enters on an unused territory so far. And he does it in style, with an exceptional movie.
One thing must be clear: this is not a movie only for football fans, but for everybody. Because it's not a movie necessarily about football, but about team spirit, about friendships, joys or troubles, a film with strong characters played by really special actors. A film that will keep your interest at high levels, despite its long runtime, by the fabulous style of Stone, but also by the story, full of events dictated by interests or the rush for money, that many times dims freindships or any bit of morality.
During the movie, you are taken through the backstage of american football. You will discover a dirty world, full of interests and passions, far of the beauty observed from outside. Al Pacino is a character caught between the desire of winning every match no matter what and the friendship that ties him with "old" Rooney, who injures himself at the beginning. Beaman is a young football player, selfish, insensitive, but with an extraordinary talent. Many times, the sudden pass from anonymity in the spotlights can bring with it major changes in the character's personality, changes that can only be bad. That's what happends to Beaman. The selfishness, the interest only for himself, bring major misunderstandings between him and his teammates or his coach. Al Pacino has the tough mission of bringing the team to the desired levels, calming down the spirits and also making the difficult decision concerning the quarterback: Beaman or Rooney. New or old. Talent or team player.
Although the script is very good, the film wouldn't have had the same value without Oliver Stone on board. He shows us again, one more time, his great talent. By his awesome way of filming, that reminds us of NBK, the fast paced, incredibly real dialogues, or last, but not least, the full of significance "inserts" with what he feasted our eyes and mind also in NBK, you actually feel that you are a part of this world, that you are really inside it. You can't even blink without being sorry. Again, the camera moves very quickly, this agressive style, of fast filming, "short" editing, strange angles or permenent camera movement, being a characteristic of many Stone movies. And the "inserts" have a special meaning again, especially in the scene of the dialogue between Foxx and Pacino, maybe the best and most significant of the whole movie.
All in all, another success for Oliver Stone. A movie added to his impressive collection of masterpieces, of the most varied and original director of our times.