Peter Berg, 2004
7.5
i believe! i really do believe! for a few seconds there Peter Berg had me in the palm of his hand. he didn't lose me, but the tone and texture of the film are so realistic (minus 'the mom', who annoyed the hell outta me) that that moment was like a shock to my nervous system. Berg tries to be as frank as possible (he succeeds in most cases) within a very Hollywood story. it gives the film a very observational tone, which i'm always for. but a football film, however realistic and down-to-earth it is, also needs its emotional content. he weaves it in ever so slightly, never really overdoing it. i was actually surprised he was able to keep it as low-key as he did the whole way through. but i had two emotional reactions while watching this thing. the first one came so much out of left field for me (my reaction; not the actions on-screen, which were surprisingly predictable, but emotional nonetheless for me), i simply felt hopeless - and very much aware of it while watching it :) and my eyes actually watered up for the second one. explosions in the sky's atmospheric and bombastic songs pepper the score and help Berg steer the film away from boring underdog football film right into a more mature feel. i liked the film and its dry tone. and although i won't watch the film again, i must recommend it for anyone who has a passing interest in sport. not for the football, really, but for a very well-told story.
Posted by Anonymous | 11:06 PM
