Yar, you be here: Any Given Sunday > Customer Reviews

Any Given Sunday Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 43 Reviews)

Steven Spielberg ain't got nothing on Oliver Stone
"Any Giving Sunday" in my opinion, is an excellent movie, in-your-face-football drama! I thought that Christina (Cameron Diaz) was indeed a market savvy pro-football team owner. When Cap (Dennis Quaid) got hurt I got really scared. I wish he would of slap his wife back he has a right to not play football if he wants to! Whenever Tony (Al Pacino) team plays I always cheer them own. I can't believe they showed a male penius in the football shower room. Jamie Foxx played a good character being the new quarterback he took over the fame and let it get to his head.

A football movie for those not into football!
As my title indicates, I'm not the biggest football fan; however, I found Oliver Stone's film to be totally engrossing, due mostly to the outstanding performances from all involved. That, along with the movie's entertaining musical soundtrack, makes this film a must-see for all.

In regards to the acting, "Any Given Sunday" shows a variety of talent, experienced, along with stars-in-the-making. Jamie Foxx is an example of the latter. His performance as brash, young, third-string-quarterback "Willie Beaman", brought into the limelight after injuries sustained by veteran Dennis Quaid, is the perfect showcase for the actor's emerging skills. It is no wonder that Foxx won an Oscar this year and he deserved a nomination for AGS.

Cameron Diaz, as the general manager of the fictional Miami Sharks, is quite good as a woman in charge of a male-dominated position. She holds her own with the more seasoned performers that populate this dynamic film.

Quaid gives another underrated performance as the washed-up quarterback with one more good game to play. James Woods, one of the best character actors today, delivers another flawless job as the seedy team doctor. Matthew Modine, L.L. Cool J, and Aaron Eckhart match him in other supporting roles.

Though her role is small, Lauren Holly gets some points for her performance as Quaid's supportive and determined wife.

Actor/songwriter Clifton Davis (one of the stars of the 80's sitcom "Amen" and composer of The Jackson Five's "Never Can Say Goodbye") has a moment in the sun as the mayor of Miami.

Football legends Jim Brown and Lawrence Taylor are effective in their roles of assistant coach and veteran linesman, respectively.

Smaller roles are assayed by legends Ann-Margret (cast as Diaz's mother and widow of the team's former owner) and Charlton Heston as the football commissioner. As a tribute to the actor, as well as providing a fitting comparison between football's modern-day gladiators to those of ancient times, a montage of scenes from "Ben-Hur" are intertwined between events unfolding in the film's story.

But the movie belongs to Al Pacino, an actor of unparalleled talent that immerses himself in the role of the "old school" coach that must make deal with a changing sports world and the traditions that he holds so dearly. When his "Tony D'Amato" cries, so does the audience. When he is frustrated at the team's loss, the audience feels that frustration. When he experiences joy, that feeling is shared by all.

If Stone hadn't had such a mixed track record of hits and misses, an Oscar might be on Pacino's shelf, for he surely deserved one for this film.

Oliver Stone gets sacked...
Football has changed drastically as technology improves. You cannot watch a televised game without incredible computer graphic wipes, morphs and play recreations, all of it feeding through your stereo system with a high definition video signal.

With his use of cutting edge film editing and different photographic stocks, it seems only appropriate that Oliver Stone would 'tackle' the subject. The result is a very entertaining film, but never a good film. The story line(s) go on and on to make the film come in shy of three hours. They aren't boring, just trite, overdone and pointless. Some of the performances, particularly Al Pacino and comedian Jamie Foxx stand out in a sea of unispired superstar casting and cameos.

Stone himself effectively plays a commentator with a voice and mind for the game. Stone must know and love the game so he knows what the audience wants. The biggest payoff happens midway through the closing credits so if you made it through the end of the film, stay seated a couple extra minutes. So, the film is a hodge podge of ideas with a hodge podge of characters and a hodge podge of techniques. That sounds like Stone's usual playbook. unfortunately, he won't make the playoffs with this.

The Widescreen DVD is great but, ironically, the film might benefit from the pan and scan version (as that is how most televised football games are currently seen...)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Next Page