Despite a few memorable moments, including the best locker-room speech ever, this bloated and chaotic football fever dream is all style over substance.
No clue exactly why, since I haven’t watched it again since I saw it in the theater. One thing I do remember is that I disliked the way the in-game sequences were shot.
Also, it seems like the stadium roofs/ceilings were crazy low or something? Like every single punt or kickoff would bounce off of them in real life. If so, that one completely unbelievable detail would have done it for me. If it’s supposed to be extremely realistic and it’s something I know a lot about, you’d better get all of the details right.
I’m not 100% that was the issue, but it was something like that. Unfortunately (especially for the point I’m trying to make with this comment), I don’t have the exact details.
I agree with almost everything in here regarding AGS. However I actually liked the editing…at least for the football scenes. Your word, jarring, I think captures it best.
This movie is incredible. I love every excessive minute of it, from that Pacino speech (which goes from rah-rah to depressing to Super TMI and then back to Sportscenter) to Charlton Heston saying of Cameron Diaz, "I truly believe that woman would eat her own young" to "My name is Willy BEEEEEAMAN!" Check out John C. McGinley as Not-Jim Rome! NAILED IT.
Definitely a major fork in the road for sports movies. They're clearly trying to make it accurate to the NFL, but without NFL licenses, it means the movie had to cost way too much to replicate the feel of a giant multi-team league. I don't know if we're going to have as honest a major-sports movie as this one in a long time, maybe ever. The upcoming Brad Pitt Formula One movie might come close.
I feel like a part of me is still in that sauna with the terrifying, pitiable Laurence Taylor.
Interesting review but I have to disagree. The challenge with sports movies is how often the characters feel like clichés and AGS is as clichéd as it comes.
The frantic style of the movie mimicking the chaos of the sport is perfect. The incredible cast elevates this into a different level and then sprinkle in some all time great moments. I think it's the perfect movie on professional American football.
I agree with your review but the problem with sports movies is this question of how do you make a sports movie that’s not (a) sentimental or (b) just action and no substance? Oliver Stone intentionally went with chaos as a kind of statement and I understand why he did it.
I get why he did it too. It works for some of the game sequences but, for example, I think Friday Night Lights is an example of a better sports movie that’s not that sentimental and doesn’t rely on constant action.
You could argue that it’s not exactly fair to compare Any Given Sunday to FNL since the latter came out 5 years afterward and the director definitely would have seen Any Given Sunday.
The notoriously un-subtle Oliver Stone and professional football may low-key be the greatest marriage of director and subject matter of all time.
Yeah, I didn’t need subtlety necessarily - just even a fraction of restraint at any point 😂
Love NFL football, hated this movie.
No clue exactly why, since I haven’t watched it again since I saw it in the theater. One thing I do remember is that I disliked the way the in-game sequences were shot.
Also, it seems like the stadium roofs/ceilings were crazy low or something? Like every single punt or kickoff would bounce off of them in real life. If so, that one completely unbelievable detail would have done it for me. If it’s supposed to be extremely realistic and it’s something I know a lot about, you’d better get all of the details right.
I’m not 100% that was the issue, but it was something like that. Unfortunately (especially for the point I’m trying to make with this comment), I don’t have the exact details.
It just wasn’t for me, I guess.
Jerry Maguire, on the other hand, I loved.
I agree with almost everything in here regarding AGS. However I actually liked the editing…at least for the football scenes. Your word, jarring, I think captures it best.
Yeah, you definitely felt a real intensity during the games. I just wish that frenetic style had stopped there though.
Yeah I get that
Glad to get your thoughts!
This movie is incredible. I love every excessive minute of it, from that Pacino speech (which goes from rah-rah to depressing to Super TMI and then back to Sportscenter) to Charlton Heston saying of Cameron Diaz, "I truly believe that woman would eat her own young" to "My name is Willy BEEEEEAMAN!" Check out John C. McGinley as Not-Jim Rome! NAILED IT.
Definitely a major fork in the road for sports movies. They're clearly trying to make it accurate to the NFL, but without NFL licenses, it means the movie had to cost way too much to replicate the feel of a giant multi-team league. I don't know if we're going to have as honest a major-sports movie as this one in a long time, maybe ever. The upcoming Brad Pitt Formula One movie might come close.
I feel like a part of me is still in that sauna with the terrifying, pitiable Laurence Taylor.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
Interesting review but I have to disagree. The challenge with sports movies is how often the characters feel like clichés and AGS is as clichéd as it comes.
The frantic style of the movie mimicking the chaos of the sport is perfect. The incredible cast elevates this into a different level and then sprinkle in some all time great moments. I think it's the perfect movie on professional American football.
And for racing movies, Rush is great as is the Senna documentary.
I agree with your review but the problem with sports movies is this question of how do you make a sports movie that’s not (a) sentimental or (b) just action and no substance? Oliver Stone intentionally went with chaos as a kind of statement and I understand why he did it.
I get why he did it too. It works for some of the game sequences but, for example, I think Friday Night Lights is an example of a better sports movie that’s not that sentimental and doesn’t rely on constant action.
You could argue that it’s not exactly fair to compare Any Given Sunday to FNL since the latter came out 5 years afterward and the director definitely would have seen Any Given Sunday.