Oliver Stone brings his unique style to the sports drama in his 1998 film Any Given Sunday. The film wastes no time to get into the face of the action. Cinematographer Salvatore Totino plunges the camera right into it, and the movements are fast, confusing and all over the map. Despite this, there are still some interesting shots of in depth Football footage, and it's cool to see, if you can get past the frantic pace. However this is an awful sports film that had potential of being a great film. Unfortunately, the script lacks anything that is interesting in terms of a truly compelling sports film. Oliver Stone tries far too hard at delivering a film that all testosterone and no substance. There's nothing on-screen to appeal to viewers and sports drama enthusiasts. Any Given Sunday is forgettable in the long run, and it definitely doesn't stand out among other sports classics. Oliver Stone misses the mark with this movie, and he is better with conceiving kinetic action flicks like Natural Born Killers than making Sports dramas. This was really the start of a creative rut for Stone, and he would not recapture that energy until 2006's World Trade Center. This movie is just a collection of sports clichés and wasted talent. Oliver Stone has made one of his worst films with this one and it fails in terms of a truly compelling plot and effective performances. I really didn't enjoy this one, and though it had great Football footage, it wasn't enough to deliver a truly memorable sport drama. Stone is a good director, but with this genre, he should never touch another film like this. The material was lacking, the talent was there, but ultimately the execution was poor and ultimately not worth your time. At one point near the ending, we see a sports caster played by director Oliver Stone shake his head as if he realized his film was bad, and it is.

Never before has something I have no interest in, been so exciting. I'm not a real fan of any sport and American Football is something I find mostly dull. Stone manages to create an instantly unforgettable opening. He knows sports movies will only play to a certain crowd, so he dives into the world of football, not just the sport itself. We're taken on a fast and frantic tour. We see the game itself, the commentators, the journalists, the business women, the coaches etc. It makes the game feel so technical and calculated that it really feels like a battle. Over the course of the film we also get glimpses of the medical aspect and even the religious side. The character drama is also present. Every ying has a yang and all sides are represented fairly. The editing and acting are both powerful and used sparingly. The script itself gives enough time to each character and situation and has some excellent dialog. All star cast in an all star film that isn't just for American Football fans.