Icarus (2017)

Though I don't have any interest whatsoever in Olympic sports (I'm happy if the country I "root" for wins gold medals but it's not like I'm watching or anything. I'm a football/soccer kind of person), I checked out Netflix's Icarus anyway because of the Oscar nomination (I watched this a few days before the Oscars. This one's the winner). 

In a few words, this documentary, co-written and directed by Bryan Fogel, follows Fogel himself as he tries to discover the truth about doping in sports. Fogel's first intention is to explore the option of doping to win an amateur cycling race and see how these drugs affect his performance, but eventually, he finds himself caught up in something much bigger than he had anticipated, the scandal that uncovered Russia's state-sponsored Olympic doping program.

Icarus is essentially two documentaries in one. The first, simple and yet the most interesting, portrays the doping in cycling and sports in general. It is about Fogel's personal experience and journey with a supported plan of doping. Fogel's goal not only is to put himself to test but to show how ordinary cheating in sports is and proves how easy is cheating and getting away with it.

This personal journey of him brings him in contact with Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov and after that, the documentary becomes a whole different thing. This second documentary/part is both the personal story of Rodchenkov --it indeed feels like a biographical documentary-- and the exposure of the doping scandal.

That's when I started having issues with Icarus. This is easily the most complex of the two, but Fogel's approach to it is a bit shallow, too simplified. It feels like there's something missing from the Rodchenkov interviews and there's really nothing you can learn from this documentary other than what you would learn from watching interviews or reading articles online. Also, it's all a little confused and at the end, it's not even clear what Rodchenkov's role in all the doping program was. Nor whether we are supposed to consider him a victim or an evil man --because he's Russian and that's basically what the documentary says about Russians.

Netflix

Then there's this thing about doping being ineffective on Fogel which made me wonder if he was trying to say that only because Russian athletes did cheat and used drugs to enhance their performances it doesn't mean the drugs actually worked and gave them an advantage.

In spite of that, Icarus is a pretty solid documentary that holds your attention throughout from start to finish and it's definitely worth watching.

Rudy (1993)

Genre

Biography | Drama | Sport

Director

David Anspaugh

Country

USA

Cast

Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Robert Prosky, Jason Miller, Lili Taylor, Mitch Rouse, Chelcie Ross, Ron Dean, John Beasley, Vince Vaughn, Rudy Ruettiger

Storyline

Rudy (Sean Astin) has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.

Opinion

Here I am reviewing another inspirational, motivational, feel-good sport film. And here I am saying basically the same things over and over again. Like that "Rudy" is a highly clichéd and predictable underdog tale that is slightly uplifting. But it's also boring. 

This is your typical underdog defeating the world kind of story but there really isn't anything else going on other than that. It's all about Rudy, a guy who just wants to play college football, and it's another true story. And like I said before is tremendously predictable. But that's the same with most of the films of this genre.

Something unusual this film does is putting the sport aside. The film indeed focuses on all the things the title character has to do to fulfill his dream and the actual football and playing football takes a back seat. This is a good thing because sport scenes always look fake in movies, but if you want to see a film about football you may want to avoid it.

The film's biggest flaw is the character. While Rudy is a guy one is supposed to like and relate to - which is basically what always happens in these films -, to my surprise the film didn't give me enough to care about the character. And eventually the film didn't really have an emotional impact on me.

The acting isn't very inspired either. While Sean Astin does a fairly good job as the leading character, the supporting cast delivers shallow, flat performances. 

Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)

Genre

Biography | Drama | Sport

Directors

Jeff Zimbalist | Michael Zimbalist

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin de Paula, Leonardo Lima Carvalho, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta, Colm Meaney, Vivi Devereaux

Storyline

The chronicle of Pele's (Kevin de Paula, Leonardo Lima Carvalho) meteoric rise from the slums of Sao Paulo to leading Brazil to its first World Cup victory at the age of 17.

Opinion

Pelé is a football legend, I am a huge football fan so I could not miss this film. For sure reason I wasn't sure what to expect from it, yet it managed to leave me feeling tremendously disappointed by it.

Even though Pelé is the executive producer of it, "Pelé: Birth of a Legend" isn't the tribute such a legend deserves.

Sure the intentions of the Zimbalist brothers are quite noble, I mean, bringing to the big screen a coming-of-age story about Pelé. But the task was quite hard because of the subject and they didn't handled it properly.

The story is what it is, but the film brings it to the screen with no personality whatsoever, and completely forgets that it isn't just a victory for a man, but for all the Brazilian people as well. The film drowns in bland and predictable dialogue - and it did really bother me the fact that the film was in English. I would have prefered it to be in Portuguese with subtitles.

The cinematography is quite beautiful, but there are some scenes - like the young Pelé using fruits to play football because he couldn't afford a ball - looks more like an advertising campaign than sequences from a movie.

Noteworthy is the insistence of the filmmakers on some values such as tenacity in pursuing goals and never giving up, and staying true of oneself and to one's traditions.

In spite of all of its flaws, "Pelé: Birth of a Legend" still manages to be watchable. 

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

Genre

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Sport

Director

Dexter Fletcher

Country

UK | USA | Germany

Cast

Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Iris Berben, Mark Benton, Keith Allen, Jo Hartley, Tim McInnerny, Edvin Endre, Marc Benjamin, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Ings, Rune Temte, Tom Costello, Jack Costello

Storyline

The story of Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton), the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Opinion

Underdog stories are definitely a must in feel-good and motivational sport films, and their execution can either make a film good or bad. If the film is a biopic people are also expecting it to be as close to the source material as possible. Other than that, what I expect is an experience. Whether it's laughing or crying, I want to bond with the character, and that's exactly what I got with "Eddie the Eagle".

While the plot basically drowns in the coach/protégé clichée and the film's structure isn't any different from that of any other film of its genre, and despite the fact that the film emphasizes a lot on the struggles of the protagonist, the film still manages to be very enjoyable, and funny.

Like every single sport film I've seen, "Eddie the Eagle" also has an inspirational message. Unlike most of the time though, it takes a step further, and instead of just stating that no matter the odds, if you really want something, you can achieve it with some hard working - and sometimes luck -, it shows that winning isn't everything. Just like another ski jumper tells Eddie later in the film, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, what's important is that you give your best, and that you're proud of what you have done despite the competitive outcome.

The key to this film is the main character, Eddie Edwards, also known as Eddie the Eagle. Maybe it's because he is just a normal guy with a dream, but he is incredibly likable, and to see him working up to the challenge, and overcoming this almost impossible challenge with such strength of will and the help of his coach is uplifting.

Then there is Taron Egerton. He doesn't just portray a sympathetic character, he transforms into Eddie the Eagle. That's what an actor is supposed to do. Hugh Jackman also gives a good performance as the coach and manages not to overshadow Egerton's performance - probably because the latter's is a very good one.

Concussion (2015)

Genre

Biography | Drama

Director

Peter Landesman

Country

USA

Cast

Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morse, Arliss Howard, Mike O'Malley, Eddie Marsan, Hill Harper, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Stephen Moyer, Richard T. Jones, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson, Sara Lindsay, Matthew Willig, Bitsie Tulloch, Eme Ikwuakor

Storyline

In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.

Opinion

Last night I finally watched the film with a lot of interest because of its sensitive subject and because of Will Smith's performance that according to everybody was Oscar worthy. I was disappointed.

"Concussion" would have been a compelling drama, and an excellent biopic if it wasn't so long and so unfocused.

So the film tells the story of Nigerian pathologist Bennet Omalu who discovered that football players, just like boxers, can suffer from CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), and the NFL knowing it and did not say anything about it, more or less accurately. The problem is the way it tells it, so awful it made the film barely watchable.

It is a sport related story, but the film doesn't really establish a relation between the doctor and the sport. American football gets mentioned only to attract fans of the sport, it doesn't really have another purpose. 

Then the filmmakers thrown in a romantic sub-plot in order to give Smith something to do other than cut brains of dead footballers. A romance that is pointless, flat and whose only purpose is to lengthen the film. 

It also seems like the filmmakers tried very hard to make a mess out of the film. In addition to a non-linear narration that doesn't make any sense, and an awful editing, the focus shifts from the legal battle to the inner struggle of Bennet Omalu to be considered a doctor in America.

At least Will Smith's performances is excellent. I actually was afraid that his attempt on Nigerian accent would have made him into a caricature, but thank god that didn't happen. Instead, he brings a lot of intensity in each line spoken, and his portrayal of the character is amazing. The supporting cast is average, nobody really stands out. 

What can I say? Maybe it just needed to be a documentary.

Mention-Worthy Quotes

Bennet Omalu: Need is not weak. Need is need... You have to be the best version of yourself. If you don't know what that is you pick something and fake it

Green Street (2005)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Sport

Director

Lexi Alexander

Country

USA| UK

Cast

Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Leo Gregory, Claire Forlani, Marc Warren, Ross McCall, Rafe Spall, Kieran Bew, Geoff Bell, James Allison, Terence Jay, Joel Beckett, Francis Pope, Christopher Hehir, David Alexander

Plot

Unjustly expelled from Harvard, Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) moves to London to live with his sister (Claire Forlani) and her husband Steve (Marc Warren). As he meet Pete (Charlie Hunnam), Steve's cocky brother, he is introduced to the violent underworld of football hooliganism.

Opinion

Critics have said everything bad they could possibly say about this film, from Elijah Wood being not credible as the tough guy to Charlie Hunnam's awful cockney accent. Good thing is I'm not a critic.

Green Street is a very emotional drama that deals with many themes: loyalty, honor, revenge, importance of family - The Major's decision to leave the GSE for the sake of his family -, and power economically strong people have - Matt being kicked out of Harvard.

The film does not glorify hooligans, it portrays them honestly. The violence is believable, realistic, and frightening. The direction and cinematography are flawless. The story manages to engage the audience immediately. The sad and mesmerizing final fight perfectly goes along with Terence Jay's song "One Blood".

The acting is spot-on. Elijah Wood is amazing, and maybe he wasn't the best choice to play a tough guy, but who cares? After all, his character wasn't that tough at the beginning. Charlie Hunnam gives a great performance.

Now, the film is violent, but there is much more than that, so if you didn't get it, I really suggest you to watch it again.

Quotes

Matt Buckner: You know the best part? It isn't knowing that your friends have your back. It's knowing that you have your friends' back.

Pete Dunham: You don't run, not when you're with us... You stand your ground and fight!

Matt Buckner: I've never lived closer to danger, but I've never felt safer. I've never felt more confident, and people could spot it from a mile away. And as for this, the violence? I gotta be honest - it grew on me. Once you've taken a few punches and realize you're not made of glass, you don't feel alive unless you're pushing yourself as far as you can go.

Foxcatcher (2014)

Genre

Biography | Drama | Sport

Director

Bennett Miller

Country

United States

Cast

Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller, Anthony Michael Hall, Guy Boyd, Brett Rice, Samara Lee, Jackson Frazer, Jane Mowder, Daniel Hilt, Lee Perkins, David Bennett

Plot

The film tells the dark and fascinating story of the unlikely and ultimately tragic relationship between an eccentric multi-millionaire and two champion wrestlers.

Opinion

Finally released in Italy last Thursday, I went to see it last night. I don't like wrestling and I wasn't expecting much from this film, but it disappointed me in a good way. Foxcatcher is a story about defeat, that goes beyond the sport, and delves into the complexities of the protagonists' psychologies.

The acting is excellent. Channing Tatum proves that he is not just a pretty face, but he act and he is quite good. The way his character punished himself reminded me of "Of Mice and Men"'s Lennie. Forget about the sex comedies guy, because this Steve Carell is different and unrecognizable - great job on the make up - and he delivers an excellent performance, definitely his best so far. Mark Ruffalo gives a superb performance.

Quotes

John du Pont: You're going to do great things, Mark.

Mark Schultz: I'm gonna give you everything I have.

Rating

8.5/10