Review of Any Given Sunday (1999) by Tiberio S — 01 Mar 2017

Absolutely transcendent, the greatest sports film I have ever seen.

One of the greatest casts I've ever seen - Al Pacino Is the coach, he is everything an actor can embody in this role. Dennis Quaid is the aging quarterback as he is the aging pitcher in The Rookie. Lauren Holly is the players wife. LT, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, Bill Bellamy - who wouldn't believe this is a real team? Charlton Heston, Ann Margaret, Jim Brown, James Woods, Matthew Modine - everyone brings charisma and authenticity. I forgot LT was a real life player, he felt like a genuine actor. And Oliver Stone goes beyond his usual cameo to playing the recurring drunken announcer.

This serves as a precognition to future issues about concussions, drugs, and physical health in the sport, something not as commonly spoken of then, now is everyday conversation. As such, it is far more bold and daring than Concussion.

Every single scene is layered with more than what's on the surface. A distraught coach facing age sees images of WWII. A conversation with the quarterback intercuts echoing voices and Ben-Hur, who turns out the be the commissioner of the the league.

The film assembly is incredible, and it took four editors, probably working day and night, to do it. I love the frequent use of the slow-mo spiraling football, had such texture to it that makes you fetishize the game of football. At the end of the picture, the slow countdown of the clock, seeing the inside of the light board. Stone can feel every detail of this game in his bones, it's an incredible trip.