Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
breaking the mould, 18 Nov 2006
I think this film is a gem. It is unique and therefore criticism of the film must be put into context. The review I am responding to awarded the film Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait just 1 star. This is extremelely unfair and the author of that review needs to understand what this film is, and what it is not.
The cameras follow Zidane, and only Zidane. You see Zidane on the ball and off the ball throughout a single match playing for Real Madrid v Villareal for almost 90 minutes, in real time. There are close up's of his feet, the back of his head, his wrists and also his face. It shows Zidane brooding,then bursting into a run, sharing a joke with Roberto Carlos and then a burst of pace as he lights up the screen with his skill
The music by Mogwai is haunting, downbeat, and it fades in and out as we read Zidane's thoughts about childhood and the game of life.
Paradoxically it shows Zidane as a person known and watched by millions, and yet seemingly alone and brooding on the football pitch itself. He is without doubt next to the likes of Ronaldo, Beckham and Ronaldinho one of the best known footballers on the planet. Interestingly, at half time the film scans the world to show some of the serios and quirky news stories of the day - (putting the game into a word context) It shows a picture from Iraq as a small boy throws a brick at occupying troops - the boy wears a Zidane shirt! After half time we are back to the action - and a dramtic ending.
What this film is not - is a film of a football match, it is about Zidane. It is not full of dialogue, and I would warn the viewer that whilst it is exciting it is not exciting in a classical sense. Like Zidane it is a brooding film, but I think a thought provoking film both in terms of its concept and content.
The Guardian said "... film becomes a hypnotic experience to which you must simply abandon yourself." I think that is true, you need to be patient and absorb the film and enjoy it.
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Film first, football second, 20 Nov 2006
I agree with the reviewer above that you should not bother with this film if all you want to see is football. In that case, watch a football match instead. If on the other hand you want to see a remarkable artwork that (if you are open to it) will make you consider the relationships between art and sport, order and randomness, time and the event, mediation and reality etc. then this is certainly for you.
The filmmakers try many various means to expore what Zidane signifies about the world at the beginning of the 21st century, making it impossible to sum the film up. So much is about the context of what we are seeing, most powerfully evoked at half-time in a selection of images and stories from around the world that occurred on the same day as the game we are watching. Subtitles are used superbly in this section, culminating in a voice we do not hear saying to us "I had something to do today..." The speaker, it becomes clear on reflection, is all those who are currently watching, and by extension, everyone living on that day. Singular individuality and global humanity are subtly invoked simultaneously.
This is typical of how the film works, mostly taking a highly non-directive stance which allows a large space for individual reflection on the themes on screen. This is an unusual feeling in a cinema, as movies tend to be the most coercive of art forms, bombarding the viewer with image, sound and narrative. There are long sections here of Zidane drifting around the field, rarely receiving the ball, meaning that viewers will be bored unless they alter their conventional habits (what all the best art should make you do). This also has the effect that when music or words are used they take on greater significance than usual, as the juxtaposition between raw image and imposed artistic meaning becomes stark.
Zidane himself comes across as both an artist and an existentially frustrated man, as both a deep thinker and an instinctual genius, as both a material human being and our best current metaphor for the Western condition. When he gets sent off at the end it is one of the most poigant moments I have seen on film. His final words are perfect, both offering closure while at the same poetically acknowledging his lasting imprint on the beautiful game (never more beautiful than in this film):
"Sometimes magic is so close
...To nothing at all.
When I retire I will miss the green of the grass, le carré vert"
(Finally, it should be mentioned that there is in fact a wonderful moment here for soccer lovers, when Zidane beats three players and sends in an extraordinary chip over the keeper to set up the first goal. As the football cliché goes, it is worth the price of admission on its own.)
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magical..., 20 Feb 2007
I thought this film was tremendous. I rented it on Amazon, and now I'm going to buy it.
At first when it started, I slightly doubted the concept, as Zidane was not heavily involved, but as the game progressed, and his involvement increased, I was sucked right into the stadium alongside ZZ. I could feel the pressure of going a goal down at home; I won't spoil it by saying more about the game; you can hear the fans so clearly, the stadium audio is superb and soundtrack builds the tension as the clock ticks. This concept would not have worked with 'average' players who cannot control a ball as well ZZ etc. ZZ is a genius, and this DVD helps understand why. Some folk have mentioned Playercam on Sky, this is no comparison to that. Its loads better. The camera work, cinematography, the quality of the video, the audio quality picking up the players, fans, even just hearing ZZ scuffling along the grass is top class!!!
Well done to the directors, of which one was from Glasgow, my home town. I was lucky enough to see ZZ's Champions League goal at Hampden, and he's undoubtably the best player I've ever seen. I've been lucky enough to see him play twice. The DVD is brilliant. You really appreciate how good he is and how easy he made the game look. Playing alongside him in this DVD helps! :-)
A must for all football fans.
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