O. STONE: 16-39, 201 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT

Rating: 6/10 (30 December 1999)

Being an avid fan of *both* professional football AND Oliver Stone, I thought Stone's new movie "Any Given Sunday" would be a can't-miss hit, for me anyway.
But in the final analysis, Stone's effort is analogous to the star quarterback who has an "off" game (which can happen 'on any given Sunday' :^).
While the film certainly has its moments (Lawrence Taylor, believe it or not, is outstanding in a fairly sizable role, and the sound editing is fantastic), its not up to snuff with the rest of the Stone canon.
The plot is predictable and clichéd (what else do you expect from a sports movie?), but the real disappointment comes from the 'look' of the action on field. Here I thought Stone, a magician at editing and technique, would work wonders. But the end result is cheesy; its like watching a cross between arena league football and the sitcom, "Coach".
And the length. Whew! I mean, I can watch "Nixon," "Schindler's List," "English Patient," etc. over and over. But "Any Given Sunday"'s 3 hours feel more like 5. The movie starts to have that numbing, monotonous feel that you get when you watch, say, a Giants/Eagles game in mid-December. My
wife and I were both praying that Pacino's team would lose the (obligatory) "big game" so that we could go home...
In summary, Stone does connect on a few big plays. But most of his passes fall incomplete. I suggest those interested in "Any Given Sunday" wait until it hits vhs or pay per view. It is certainly worth a rental.

And of course, if you want to see Stone's best work, go rent "Nixon," "NBK" or if you are in a really daring mood, "U-Turn."