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Any Given Sunday (Special Edition Director's Cut) - Oliver Stone Collection

Any Given Sunday (Special Edition Director's Cut) - Oliver Stone Collection

List Price: $14.97
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great movie even if you don't like football. A Great Cast!
Review: Any Given Sunday has all the elements of a riveting ensemble- the cast is terrific with many good actors. Al Pacino plays the head coach of the mediocre Miami Sharks, Tony D'Amato, an underdog team that has just lost it's first string quarterback, played by Dennis Quaid, and it's second string quarterback in back-to-back plays. Pacino has no choice but to send in the inexperienced Willie Beaman. My biggest suprise was that Jamie Fox from the WB network, who plays Beaman, was fantastic. He was so good he should have been nominated for best supporting actor that year. Other performances are played by Hames Woods, LL Cool J, and Cameron Diaz, as the owner of team and the niece of Pacino.

Willie Beaman starts off horribly, but gradually improves and becomes the team's star player. But the success goes to his head, and gets under Pacino's skin. Beaman changes the plays in the huddles without the coach's or offensive coordinator's consent, and runs off at the mouth with teammates and to Pacino. But he is winning the games, and (almost) everyone watching likes Beaman, forcing Al Pacino to reevaluate the way he coaches, if winning is more important than teamwork and playing hard.

When it comes to the football sequences, the cinemtography is wonderful, this is where Oliver Stone shows his true talent. You feel like you are on the field, especially with the digital sound and great picture that accompanies this disc. There are also a few never before seen scenes in this DVD release, nothing major, but still a good feature. LL Cool J also has a music video, and the trailer is also in the bonus feature section.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A searching look beyond football
Review: I may tend to go for romantic comedies, but I really enjoy watching Al Pacino in action. He's hot and good! I can see why movie stars lobby to work with him ~~ he's that good. Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid and Cameron Diaz all were excellent in this movie as well. Cameron plays the woman everyone loves to hate and she does a good job of it too in this movie ~~ unlike "There's Something About Mary." Jamie Foxx plays his character with depth ~~ you can actually see him grow into his role by the end of the movie. He comes off so angry that you can actually feel it emitting from the TV screen. I think he's an actor Hollywood needs to keep an eye on. If he continues to act like he did in this movie, he'll go far.

This is more than a football movie. It talks about the future and about going after your dreams. It shows the depth and range of human emotions tied to a dream. It's really a thought-provoking movie ~~ though not all is serious in this movie. There are some funny moments. It's well worth your time to watch it!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The cast was all wrong for this movie.
Review: I picked up this movie knowing that during the shooting they had problems getting the talent they wanted...I just didn't think that it would show this badly in the finished product. Pacino was good, but not great...too bad since I'm a big Pacino fan. Cameron Diaz was a waste in this movie... As for the rest they aren't worth mentioning.

Unless you're a serious fan of football I wouldn't recommend this movie...It has it's moments, but so does a visit to the dentist...

I do give it 2 stars however due to the fact that the directing was excellent, and the cinematography was very well done... Oliver Stone did the best he could do with this movie, but he should stick to what he's good at.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best sport based films I have seen
Review: This is possibly the shortest two and a half hour movie I have ever seen. Excellent characters and acting and a fast moving story make this the surprise of the year for me. The whole film is a visual spectacular(on field and off field) with Stones creative cutting keeping everything lively throughout. The sound and picture on the DVD is amazing to say the least. As for the film being close to x rated(as one reviewer commented), I have to say that that is the best joke I have heard for ages. There is one shot of Elizabeth Berkley however that is rather revealing(best shot in the film actually) oh yeah!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I'm going to be shortwinded....
Review: This movie is baaaaaaaad. Oliver Stone should be ashamed of himself. The casting on this thing is just horrible and half of the characters don't fit their roles. The acting is far short of superb and the script is all over the place. There are some past stories we don't know about and aren't being told. It's just entirely too confusing and very very very highly irritating. The movie drags and is wayyy too long, around 3 hours. That and a gratutious male shower scene that disgusted me get this horrid movie the stamp of "garbage"

you may say my review wasn't helpful to you but i guarantee it has helped you in keeping away from this junk

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: For lovers of the game
Review: Any Given Sunday feels longer than it's 151 minutes, mainly because it tries to cram too much in. Oliver Stone is a fine movie director although his recent offerings have been paltry, including this one. The violent and break-neck on-field action is captured perfectly. The problem lies within the movie's insipid two-dimensional characters. Al Pacino brings a wearied cynicism to his role as Coach D'Amato and is excellent as usual. The only other credible characters are a cocky halfback played by professional rapper LL Cool J, and Matthew Modine as a conscienious team doctor.

The second disc of this 2-disc set features screen tests, including a home video of Jamie Foxx tossing a football in a park. It also features a 'making of' plus there are deleted scenes with commentary by Oliver Stone. If you enjoyed the movie, I definitely recommend this movie for purchase for it's superb extras.

Many will find this movie slow-moving despite the football action, though. It's standard fare as far as football films go. There is nothing here that hasn't been done already which leads one to re-think the whole football film genre.

Unless you are a football fan, stay well away.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: JCMICHAELS.COM Any Given Sunday Review
Review: Movies based on sports, basketball, baseball, curling...well, maybe not curling, but one of the most interesting sports to make a movie of is football. The blood, guts, girls, drugs, injuries...blah, blah, blah. Any Given Sunday is just that...blah! This mostly impart because of the acting and writing. Al Pacino does a brilliant job of portraying head coach, Tony D'Amato and John C. McGinley, a great character actor, as his biggest critic. Other than that there really isn't anything to right home about. Cameron Diaz, the owner of the Sharks cannot pull off the "She would eat her own children" remark whispered by a colleague, simply because she is all over the board with her emotions. One moment she is screaming at Al, the next sympathetic, so she didn't come off as bad as I think was planned.

Sadly these performances are the result of the writing. I got a little tired of the "this is your last season" hints and the same old arguments over and over again. Where is the variety?!?! Then you have Dennis Quaid's portrayal of Joe Montana...oh, I mean Jack "Cap" Rooney. Puhleez! Just to round up the rest of the review, there was the predictable outcome, unresolved allegations and several bad rap videos.

This is of course the "Director's Cut" but unfortunately it is only of the movie. I would have hoped for some special features. Interactive menus, Notes on the Stars and Director, Theatrical Trailers, Scene Access and subtitles are NOT special features. So really all you get out of this movie is a rap video and a documentary. Where is the commentary?

Even though I have complained about almost every aspect of this movie, the saving grace is the incredible football scenes. If you're into football then you should definitely pick this up, if not, then don't waste you 157 minutes.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Visually appealling, but falls apart
Review: For a three hour movie to catch my attention and hold it, it must be very engrossing from start to finish. This movie is interesting from start to somewhere decidedly south of finish.

It is painfully obvious that Oliver Stone directed. In some of his other works, such as Natual Born Killers, the cutaway scenes randomly inserted MTV-style seem to work. Then again, Any Given Sunday is not an exploration of the minds of serial killers, it's a football movie. Thus, when dialogue is happening and the camera cuts away to clouds, gladiator movies, old football clips, and time-lapse garbage, it is simply annoying.

Pacino is Pacino - the agitated coach you expect. Diaz does a good job at being the snotty brat - almost too good a job. No one expects much from LL Cool J or Jamie Foxx, so we should not be disappointed there. Luckily for them, acting takes a back seat here to camera angles, music and flash.

Altogether, it gets old quickly. The already-too-thin plot snaps in half, and the various threads of ending are readily predictable. Long before the end, I was ready for baseball season.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: "Not this Sunday"
Review: I consider myself an admirer of both Stone and Pacino's work. They are the quintessental "working class stiffs" in their profession. I also consider myslef a knowledgeable football fan, who has played the game at a competitive level. Any Given Sunday can be described in an old Hollywood adage, "Over the top". North Dallas Forty was an exceptional picture that finally exposed the horrors of pro football. The "win at all costs" mentality was always perceived as "boyish competion" and for many years the behind the door cruelty of the game was hushed. God Forbid, we disrupt the sanctity of the NFL and it's millions of fans perched high upon their lazy-boys with Budweiser's in tow. "Any Given" gives us an upclose and personal look at those horrors. Be it medical malpractice, contract disputes or genuine bad behavior the state of the Miami Sharks is in shambles. Coach Dematto, played with a contrived enthusiasm by Pacino, is short on energy and considered a dinasour in today's fast paced game. Cameron Diaz plays the megaowner who's lost in her late daddy's shadow, with intentions to sell the team and undermine Dematto. With the multitude of characters Pacino has played with consumate authentication; I just cannot perceive him as a head football coach. His halftime speech is awful and seems less spontaneous and more rehearsed. The action scenes are too difficult to follow at times ,including a scene where an eyeball pops onto the artificial turf after a bone jarring hit. Jaime Foxx, steals the show as quaterback Willie Beamon, an unambitous third stringer who steps into the starter role and has to deal with the fame of being a starting quaterback

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Very MTV-ish
Review: I honestly like Oliver Stone movies. He's a Natural Born Director and a wonderful storyteller. He's innovating and very controversial, as a filmaker should be. His JFK and Natural Born Killers were Supurb!! That being said, I didn't expect less from Any Given Sunday. Sure, it's controversial and filled with violence, drugs, sex, and money. Tell us something we DON'T know! Football is full of "prep talks" and "big money." Sure it's nice to see and hear, but after that game, it means nothing. The athletes played for years and yet their attention is ONLY focused on the big prep talk, that 15 minutes of energy filled tongue whipping and bam, the next morning they're doing what they're doing, irrelevant to what just happened and forgetting what they heard. So is true for this film. Not only did I enjoyed the 3 hour experience, but I left the theatre psyched up. The next morning, I can't remember what the hell I just saw. I rented and then bought this movie because of Mr. Stone. I love his works and I can't leave out this one. But I can't help feeling empty and slighted by this movie. So much of it was MTV-type production: big and loud music, pretty sexy girls, drugs, and football. The football scenes were second to the private introspective fight of the coach. The coach: Brilliant performance. Seen that, done it twice, go on. That sums up Al Pacino's performance and character. Go on to Cameron Diaz's tough owner character and performance. A total non-believable yawner. Ho-hum. Major Leagues (the movie) was tons better. At least THAT owner showed some nastiness and hate. The players are aren't acting, they are being themselves. I can't see one iota of growth or change. No sympathy given to any of those players. And believe me, I want to feel something for them. So what can we expect from this movie? Big noise, yes. Big football scenes, sure. MTV-ish movie, definately. A movie with heart, no. A movie worth owning, no. An Oliver Stone achievement, not worth mentioning.


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