Review of Any Given Sunday (1999) by Joey I — 20 Mar 2009

Definitely not your normal Sunday matinee for a sports movie, and definitely not a normal look at the version of America's favorite Sunday sport. The film tries too hard at times to be stylish, but the brutality of the imagery and the presentation of it mirrors the intensity of the game and the lives that not only the players, but the coaches, management and media go through in a game that has been transformed into an entertainment experience.

We, the viewers, can barely keep up, and that is precisely the point. Everyone in football can barely keep up anymore with what the game has become and this film portrays that feeling--if not gracefully, then at least truthfully.