Real American Hero…
Sports has grown by leaps and bounds this day and age. Back when I was a young lad, watching football on the tube in 1981, it seemed as if the driving force behind sports was always desire. Fast-forward nearly 30 years later and you find that the nature of the game has drastically changed. Gone is the true, raw desire to win. Gone is the concept of ‘team’. All of these things these days seems to lead towards one thing and one thing only: Money.
Oliver Stone made a film that showed the ugly side of sports. You’ve got a money hungry owner who believes in marketing over loyalty. You have an out-dated coach trying to keep his players and himself together. You’ve got an old quarterback being replaced by a new quarterback. All of these things combined equal out to be trouble for the players involved. Now, Oliver Stone’s take on most things tends to lean towards a touch of over-the-top. He generally leads his movies, as of late, with quick cuts, fancy colors and different types of films. He commands his films like art, but generally makes them into a fast-paced trailer. I’m not completely sure if he got this one right, but the majority of the film is entertaining. He certainly got the right players to fill in the right holes. Dennis Quaid as the old QB was perfect. Quaid looks worn down (no offense!) and still looks like he could lead a team down the field. Jamie Foxx’s Willie Beamen is what you would actually expect from a young player these days, cocky and sometimes uncoachable (but always willing to learn once broken). Cameron Diaz plays the perfect snooty manager. If anyone out there can’t picture her as a snooty sorority chick then you’re just crazy. She fits the bill (I’m betting she’s nice in real life though). Now, my biggest complaint about this film is the casting of Al Pacino. He makes Bruce Pearl look sane. Pacino, much like Stone’s films, is completely over the top. He doesn’t separate himself from Al Pacino and settle in as Tony D’Amato. I can’t tell whether he just didn’t buy into the character completely or what, but he just doesn’t look right in that position. This is more of a Billy Bob Thorton role, someone who is a little older, a little wiser and isn’t resembling someone close to Diaz’s character. It just doesn’t seem like the right fit.
With that said, I’m not completely sure the film works to perfection. Again, like I mentioned before, I think that Stone takes the over-the-top approach and applies it to this film. Too many quick cuts, too much flash, it just seems a bit surreal. I’m sure that there are folks out there who would agree that the majority of this film is like that in the real world, but I think it’s a bit too-over-the-top. I’m sure it’s a little tamer than it’s presented here. I might be wrong, but I’ve met many football people in my lifetime. Just doesn’t seem like it’s on par.
Also, stop being in your own films. You don’t look right as a commentator.
Blu-48, Ray-7, HUT! HUT! HUT!
Many films that have gone through the hands of Warner Brothers ‘Film to HD’ transfer come out look beautiful. This is no exception. WB did a fantastic job on bringing this up to 1080p. It looks stunning, especially when it fills up your screen. Also, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is outrageous. So much action, such good music, it’s a visual and audio treat.
As for the features, here’s what you’re getting:
– Six Minutes of Footage Not Seen Theatrically
– Commentary by Oliver Stone
– Commentary by Jamie Foxx
– Full Contact: The Making of Any Given Sunday
– Deleted / Extended Scenes
– Three Music Videos
– Jamie Foxx Audition Tape/Screen Tests
– Gag Reel
– Football Outtakes and Landscape Outtage Montages
– Instant Replay: Direct Access to Exciting Game Moments
– Production Stills and such
– Music-Only Audio Track
– Theatrical Trailer
These are a good set of features. It’s top heavy as you’ll get most of the good stuff in the commentary and the documentary about the making of hte movie. The music videos are okay, the gag reel is funny and the music-only audio track is very interesting. All-in-all, they are good features, but I have seen better.
