Imperfect, but works on an emotional level

Rating: 6/10 (14 December 1999)

Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday" pulls every cliche out of the sports-movie book, from the untested rookie to the thrilling comeback in the Big Game. It's also chaotic at times, with too many tangents for its own good. But the football action is fantastic, not going to extremes while taking advantage of Stone's patented eclectism when it comes to editing and camera techniques. And the acting is, overall, quite good, especially from Al Pacino as the grizzled coach and Jamie Foxx as the hotshot rookie quarterback. A pleasant surprise is Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as, what else, a flashy but dedicated linebacker.