Any Given Sunday
1999 · Directed by Oliver Stone
Original language: English
- drama
The story
A star quarterback gets knocked out of the game and an unknown third stringer is called in to replace him. The unknown gives a stunning performance and forces the aging coach to reevaluate his game plans and life. A new co-owner/president adds to the pressure of winning. The new owner must prove herself in a male dominated world.
What it’s like
Oliver Stone's football drama is shot in a restless, overloaded style: rapid-cut editing, split screens, slow-motion hits, and jittery handheld cameras that keep you close to the locker room and the sideline. The stadiums glow under floodlights, the grass is vivid green, and the locker rooms have a fluorescent, sweat-and-tape grit, while the score is a driving rock-and-electronic pulse that swells through every game. The vibe is frantic, sweaty and combative, with a lot of shouting, speeches and locker-room tension. Pacing is fast and dense, with long bursts of on-field action and quieter, weary scenes of a coach with a bad back and a failing marriage. The emotional register is cynical and melodramatic, centred on ageing, loyalty, and a team of players and executives who keep a cold eye on each other. Intensity is moderate to high: football collisions are frequent and brutal, with visible injuries, bloody faces and a few medical crises; there is strong profanity, some sexual content, and drug and alcohol use. It suits a loud Saturday night, a drink with friends, or anyone who likes sports films with grit and a sense of backroom politics. It is not gentle.
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