The most hard-hitting, top-notch film about sports in years

Rating: Null/10 (10 December 2000)

Oliver Stone has created the most hard-hitting, top-notch film about sports in recent years, with stylish direction and great performances all around in Any Given Sunday. A movie with such versatile qualities, even for those who don't like sports, will take them on a high speed ride.
The prominent director decided to use the same style he used in his previous, underappreciated films Natural Born Killers and U-Turn.
The over-the-top direction, stylish, jittery camerawork and raunchy soundtrack has led some renowned U.S. critics to call the movie a shamelessMTV music video rip-off and even a nonsensical TV commercial (despite the fact that cinematographer Salvatore Totino has worked on many music video and TV ads).
But the result is an exhilarating, if not chaotic, in-your-face portraya of the bloody sport.
The premise about a proud rising sports star and a coach trying to make his team win back the game, however, sounds familiar. But Stone's sure-handed direction makes the difference.
Interesting characters develop nicely, including an Armani-wearing player, Julian, played by rapper LL. Cool J., a weasel orthopedist of the team played by James Fox and doubting quarterback Cap Rooney.
Fine performances from well-known actors also highlight the film, including those of Matthew Modine and veteran Charles Heston.
Stone keeps the more than two-and-a-half-hour duration tense and never boring. Everything moves so fast and every second is accounted for, just like in the sport itself.
When the film slows down and ear-throbbing music changes to slower music,including American Indian chanting, the movie is at its most tense.
Stone uses all kinds of unusual camera angles and rapid editing to give the strongest impact to audiences.
One should be forewarned, however, that this film is not for very young viewers. Locker room scenes are full of male nudity. The scenes on the football field are so vicious and include an eyeball being poked out of its socket.
Coach Tony D'Amato's character says in the film: "On any given Sunday, you're gonna win or you're gonna lose. The point is: can you win or lose like a man?"
This film certainly is a winner, baby. Put your helmet on!