Real – The Movie
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: C
There
have been a few feature productions about soccer, especially since Bend It Like Beckham was an
international hit. Borja Manso’s Real – The Movie (2005) attempts to
combine a narrative with actual games, with the result being very awkward and
scattered to cohere into something other than fans would enjoy. The Real Madrid club has huge popularity, but
don’t expect to find out much about that here.
However,
the effectiveness of the fictional narratives (among five strung through the
long 90 minutes) about soccer fans is a much larger problem, feeling more like
a bad story in between spots of good soccer playing. It is more like Manso got carried away with
the ease and toy novelty of his HD equipment than creating a coherent work
about Real Madrid, why they are so great and their long history. A documentary was not even necessary to do
this. It is just a strategy was not
really thought out and once again, this adds to the long and sorry list of any
release with a title that ends “The Movie” guaranteeing it to be a
disappointment or bomb.
The
letterboxed 1.78 X 1 image is mixed, detail challenged and sometimes blurrier
than it should be. The director said he
was thrilled to be using a new technology, but the result is more like a rough
cut and experiment than a final product.
Editing can only help it so much.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is a little better, but this was in DTS, so
where are those tracks? Extras include
interviews with Soccer/Football players, text director’s notes, stills, letter
by Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez and a behind the screens featurette.
- Nicholas Sheffo
