Wow, I'm surprised that Double J hasn't come by yet, posting his usual laundry list of reasons why he hates Stone with a passion.

Anyway, the "American Football" flick ANY GIVEN SUNDAY by Oliver Stone is probably Stone's most mainstream movie as a director. Its pretty decent but nothing worth sacking a quarterback over. Still, this movie did prove to many, like me, that Jamie Foxx wasn't simply just some comic making movies like BOOTY CALL or whatever the hell, but he CAN act worth a damn. One wonders though what if Chris Tucker or "Puff Daddy"(or "P. Diddy" or whatever hes called now), the original people offered the "Willie Beaman" part would have done as well. Still, Foxx had to start serious somewhere, and he does good.

My only problem with Stone the director is how Stone's rapid-cut-editing(since he started it when he made JFK) just gets to a point to where you really get sick of it.

Oddly, Stone did this movie I believe only when his and Al Pacino's project AMERICAN CAESAR(a modern Imperialistic American retelling of Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR) fell apart. Enjoyed the supporting cast besides Pacino and Foxx from Pro Football legend Lawrence Taylor playing a character that really echos the man's infamous off-field/locker room problems, to Dennis Quaid playing the Dan Marino/Joe Montana-esque tired star Quarterback, to even LL Cool J of all people playing an egotistical under-performing Running Back.

In fact, I'll support Cameron Diaz. Sure I've never cared for her, but for some reason she was great for the part of the franchise's owner. Fact is, she embodies the new generation of NFL Owners that think they understand how it all works, but really are clueless in the likes especially of Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Dan Snyder of the Washington Redskins. Fact is, she is supposed to be vile and unlikeable. Sure a better actress would have made it better, but Diaz was fine.

Still, the movie somewhat suffers from a non-consequential happy ending of sorts but its still a pretty decent movie in Stone's movie career.

Final Film Rating - *** out of 5

P.S. - Of course, it would help if you dig American Football and the culture itself to further "get" the movie I guess. Then again, I quite enjoyed VICTORY and SHAOLIN SOCCER, yet I've got no clue as to how "Football" works.