Amazed that we haven't had a thread on this (yes I have scoured the 'Football' thread). Saw it on Monday and was really blown away by it.Not, it has to be said, by the elements I thought I would. To get those out of the way first, the footage was pretty ropey looking quality but, despite this, the access the cameramen got and the resulting angles - especially the pitch side ones - really added to it. It really highlighted how tough Maradona really was on the pitch, riding multiple potential bone-breaking 'tackles' and still retaining the ball. I genuinely can't think of a player that I have seen targeted in this way. While, in his book, Maradona made a big deal about how cheating is tacitly accepted in Argentina, I can't help but think that the treatment he received especially in Italy caused the reaction in the way he played. Also, it showed a fucking horrible elbow in the face that he got form an English player in the 86 World Cup match. In the film, it is placed before the first goal but, obviously, this could have edited in non-chronologically to push the narrative. Even if it is after, it is a fucking horrible foul.
Mark Kermode and the director made a big deal previously about how the sound editing and how the editor had done a lot of research into how the balls would sound when kicked and how that sound changed as the balls got lighter. I have to be honest and say that the sound - especially the match effects - really jarred with me sounding obviously dubbed on and akin to those official World Cup films from the 60s and 70s. Now, this may be down to the cinema I was in which wasn't an Odeon or anything (although a louder system would have made this even more pronounced, I suppose). After a while, I didn't notice it quite so much so it certainly didn't spoil the film. On the other hand, I though the score was brilliant and will be looking out for it to buy.
The real triumph of the film was the editing and direction (perhaps obviously as it is a documentary of found footage). After the first 30 minutes, I did wonder how even I - as someone who loves Maradona - was going to be gripped by over two hours of football documentary but it is edited more like The Sopranos than a normal documentary. Obviously, there is the raw material for this in Maradona you wouldn't get with most footballers and it helps that Diego was channelling Tony Montana for most of the time off-field. The opening sequence - despite restrictions - apes the opening of Goodfellas somewhat as well. The introduction of different characters - wife, girlfriend, the Camorra and, most importantly, his trainer - keeps the pace of the film up. A mate asked me this morning what my favourite bit was and I actually realised it was what is really the most dramatic part. It didn't occur to me that, of course, the Argentina-Italy semi-final was in Napoli and the way this segment - including the events leading up to this - was filmed genuinely gave me goosebumps and is really the peak of the film. I was also really impressed how the claustrophobia that Maradona felt as he was mobbed whenever he went out came across and this was definitely due to the access the cameramen had. I also was struck by how amateurish international and top flight football was then compared to the corporate world it is now - Maradona being kicked up by Napoli in what appears to be a mid-range Fiat and being able to carry the World Cup all over the place with minimum security being only two examples of this. The only slight odd part is the two more recent segments at the end. While one ties up a thread in the film, the other doesn't really and is unnecessary.
All in all, however, an excellent film that I will revisit and probably sets a new template for football films. I haven't seen Amy or Senna as I am not that gripped by either subject but will probably check them out now. Also, although it is a different film, I am going to have to watch the Zinedane Zidane movie to compare and contrast.
Mark Kermode and the director made a big deal previously about how the sound editing and how the editor had done a lot of research into how the balls would sound when kicked and how that sound changed as the balls got lighter. I have to be honest and say that the sound - especially the match effects - really jarred with me sounding obviously dubbed on and akin to those official World Cup films from the 60s and 70s. Now, this may be down to the cinema I was in which wasn't an Odeon or anything (although a louder system would have made this even more pronounced, I suppose). After a while, I didn't notice it quite so much so it certainly didn't spoil the film. On the other hand, I though the score was brilliant and will be looking out for it to buy.
The real triumph of the film was the editing and direction (perhaps obviously as it is a documentary of found footage). After the first 30 minutes, I did wonder how even I - as someone who loves Maradona - was going to be gripped by over two hours of football documentary but it is edited more like The Sopranos than a normal documentary. Obviously, there is the raw material for this in Maradona you wouldn't get with most footballers and it helps that Diego was channelling Tony Montana for most of the time off-field. The opening sequence - despite restrictions - apes the opening of Goodfellas somewhat as well. The introduction of different characters - wife, girlfriend, the Camorra and, most importantly, his trainer - keeps the pace of the film up. A mate asked me this morning what my favourite bit was and I actually realised it was what is really the most dramatic part. It didn't occur to me that, of course, the Argentina-Italy semi-final was in Napoli and the way this segment - including the events leading up to this - was filmed genuinely gave me goosebumps and is really the peak of the film. I was also really impressed how the claustrophobia that Maradona felt as he was mobbed whenever he went out came across and this was definitely due to the access the cameramen had. I also was struck by how amateurish international and top flight football was then compared to the corporate world it is now - Maradona being kicked up by Napoli in what appears to be a mid-range Fiat and being able to carry the World Cup all over the place with minimum security being only two examples of this. The only slight odd part is the two more recent segments at the end. While one ties up a thread in the film, the other doesn't really and is unnecessary.
All in all, however, an excellent film that I will revisit and probably sets a new template for football films. I haven't seen Amy or Senna as I am not that gripped by either subject but will probably check them out now. Also, although it is a different film, I am going to have to watch the Zinedane Zidane movie to compare and contrast.
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