Is Oliver Stone becoming a rich man's Michael Bay?

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 1999)

Any Given Sunday is one hell of a movie. The football footage is exhilarating in its violence and intensity. The performances, across-the-board, are fantastic. But Oliver Stone's love affair with the quick cut and multiple camera angles causes the film to fail almost as often as it succeeds.
Al Pacino is great as the Miami Sharks' beleaguered head coach. Of course, this is a role that he could have phoned in from a beach in Maui. Cameron Diaz is impressive as the steely co-owner of the Sharks. I feared that she might be the weak link in the cast, but she's not afraid to play with the big boys. Dennis Quaid, one of my personal favorites, is fine as the aging star quarterback. Unfortunately, his role is underwritten. Jamie Foxx is good as the impatient young quarterback out for Quaid's spot on the roster. He seemed to have his finger on the pulse of today's exciting/immature young athlete. Hall-of-Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor is surprisingly good as the aging future Hall-of-Fame linebacker. And James Woods revels in his character's amorality as the team physician.
Unfortunately, the editing detracts from the film as much as it fuels it. Jamie Foxx's character performs in a obnoxious Met-RX commercial in the middle of the film that almost grinds it to a halt. The mock-commercial is so artificial-looking that one cannot help but cringe when it comes on the screen. The constant close-ups, quick cuts and multiple camera angles make me wonder if Oliver Stone made this film to beef up his resume for a possible Armageddon sequel.
Another quibble... the football fan in me can't help but question a couple of casting choices. Both Dennis Quaid and Jamie Foxx nailed their characters perfectly, but both of these guys are too short to be believable as NFL quarterbacks. The prototypical NFL quarterback scouts look for ranges from 6'2" to 6'6". Al Pacino dwarves Jamie Foxx, for crying out loud!
But in the end, Any Given Sunday is a thrill to watch. Oliver Stone captures the spirit of professional football in the 1990s. And he fearlessly grapples with many of the controversial issues in modern professional sports without ever getting preachy. In the end, what is he trying to tell us? Two things: First, youth will always be served. Second, America always gets the professional athletes she deserves.