Stone and Superb Cast Drive High Octane Sunday

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 1999)

Oliver Stone has tackled the Vietnam War (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July), political assassination (JFK) and the media (Natural Born Killers), now he has set his sights on America's favorite pastime and big business, football, in the very impressive and adrenaline pumped "Any Given Sunday". Al Pacino heads an amazing assortment of actors in one of the best ensemble films to come down the pike, directed ferociously by Stone.
Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino) is the coach of the fictitious football team, the Miami Sharks, which are on a big time losing streak. With the injury of the talented, but aging quarterback Jack Rooney (Dennis Quaid) things look very bleak. But enter 3rd string quarterback Willy Beamer (Jamie Fox) and the Sharks begin to take an upswing turn. As the Sharks begin their instantaneous climb, turmoil begins among the players and with the old school D'Amato and the Sharks owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) attempting to move the team into the 21st century.
The bone-crushing "Any Given Sunday" is hands down one of the best movies about the inside and outside of sports and gives you a front row seat on what it feels like to be on that playing field. This is one intense and caffeine induced film that gives one major rush. The action sequences alone are worth the admission price and I am not even a football fan. But "Any Given Sunday" has so much more going for it including some great acting by this very intense ensemble group. Pacino who was wonderful in the recent film, "The Insider", continues his second chapter of his career that began at the beginning of this decade with "Sea of Love" and "The Godfather Part III". His intense performance of the coach who actually cares about his players is worthy of an Oscar nomination; it is one of the best performances of his career. He balances the strength and weaknesses of Coach D'Amato perfectly in a sport that has changed drastically since he began. Cameron Diaz, a very talented and natural actress, gives the best performance of her short career and holds her own in scenes with the legendary Pacino. Their scenes are as brutal and intense as what happens on the playing field. As the owner of the Sharks, Diaz cuts a very strong figure in a man's world and pulls it off. Jamie Fox of TV's "In Living Color" and "The Jamie Fox Show" gives a break-out performance in the role of the maverick quarterback who rises to the top (too quickly, which is a big flaw of this otherwise excellent film) and alienates his teammates. Known for his comedic talents, Fox gives one hell of a dramatic performance that should get him noticed. Even Elizabeth Berkley, who was so awful in the horrendous "Showgirls" does good work in a small role as a prostitute. I did not even know it was she until the ending credits. The rest of the cast including the still very sexy and beautiful Ann-Margaret does wonderful work.
But for all the great acting going on, this film belongs to director Stone. His camera shots, which include split screens and MTV style sequences with a pounding score of almost non-stop rap and rock music, including Bill Withers classic "Use Me", show Stone in top form. It is great to have him back on top after 1997's dismal disaster "U-Turn". Stone has captured football, warts and all like no one else. He digs into the brutal business and turns it inside out. It is a great look at the inside of this very lucrative sport. But for all the big business deals going on here, the heart of the movie is about the players who live and eat football.
You do not need to be a football or sports fan to appreciate this great movie, I'm certainly not and I enjoyed it immensely. And for all those people out their wanting equal time for male frontal nudity, you've got plenty, with enough time to count every inch. Recommended. × × × × out of 5.