Any Given Sunday

Oliver Stone served up another treat that I devoured. Without any long deliberation, I would place this film among the top 3 in terms of sports dramas. I don’t know how Stone does it, but his direction grabs the viewer, making it impossible to take your eyes off the screen, even for a moment. American football has always been a mystery to me—I still don’t fully understand the rules—but this deep dive, both onto the field and behind the scenes of this traditional American game, stirred strong feelings and a deep response in me. Stone also showed us the dark side of football, where important decisions, which are not always the most moral, happen off the field and away from the cameras in the backstage environment. Cameron Diaz was amazing—I always thought she could only play naive or somewhat silly characters, but portraying an unyielding football team manager? Hats off to her. Al Pacino, once again, left his soul on the stage—a brilliant gala performance by this acting icon. The games themselves wouldn’t normally be that engaging, but combined with fast cuts and flawless music, they feel incredibly dynamic. Foxx’s transformation from a show-off to a regular team player was quite believable. The final game squeezed emotions out of the audience—even I found myself slowly cheering for the Miami Sharks to win. Stone is one of the few directors who can fully draw the viewer into the action. I give it 88%. (07/25/2017)

This is the best sports film I’ve ever seen. It has a riveting pace, one quick shot followed by another, Stone almost doesn't let the viewer breathe, helped by a wonderful soundtrack. Al Pacino gives an acting tour de force, as we are used to him. Who surprised me, however, was Cameron Diaz, who is not far behind him, and also the lesser-known black actor Jamie Foxx, who received praise from Al Pacino himself. Stone splurges on directorial ideas, for example, in one scene he composes shots from Ben Hur into the picture, it's crazy, but it works. It’s hard to describe it with words, you have to see it. I tried the DVD option of watching the film without any sounds, with only the soundtrack, and believe me, it was still a ride. (09/01/2002)

The first half hour can be classified among the strongest film moments I have ever seen. The grandiosely shot match, combined with the intense music and fantastic direction by Oliver Stone, grabs you in a way that is unprecedented. When you add a great screenplay, perfect action camera work, and brutally edited match scenes where mud and blood splatter onto the camera, you get one of the biggest hits of the season with not only captivating visuals but also a strong message if you know to read between the lines. (12/30/2004)

I don’t know the rules of American football, I don’t watch it and I don’t support any club, but this movie has a magic about it. Stone obviously had fun making this, because he serves us up one director’s delicacy after another. Additionally, the action is excellently filmed and the dialogs are so powerful that electrons were jumping out of the screen at me. Also, Al Pacino gives one of his best performances and his stirring speech for the final game is one of his most unforgettable. + Cameron Diaz plays the perfect bitch. + A great soundtrack, mixed excellently to fit the movie. (07/29/2009)

I don't know anything about American football, but this movie really got me. I don't know how Oliver Stone managed to cram such a quality cast into one film. The script is also great, although it's not about American football per se, but rather the rottenness in the background. And the game sequences are some of the best action scenes I've ever seen. (09/21/2002)