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Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

This fabulous film is playing at the Walker Art Center this weekend. Word is that the Friday night viewing is already sold out so get your tickets now. Minnesota Thunder season ticket holders get a $2 discount. I wrote a brief review for this week's CP, but can't seem to find it on the web site. So I'll post here:

Prior to headbutting his way to global infamy last summer in Germany, Zinedine Zidane was crafting an exquisite swan song to his career, leading his French side on an improbable run to the World Cup final. This absorbing film serves as a more fitting capstone to his redoubtable career. It captures an April, 2005 club match between Zidane's Real Madrid and Villareal at the renowned Bernabeu stadium. The directors, Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon, utilized 17 different cameras to document Zidane's inimitable ball skills throughout the 90-minute contest. The filmmakers aren't really interested in the outcome of the game. When the crowd rises in mass indignation midway through the first half viewers are left to speculate about the inspiration for their outrage because the camera continues to linger lovingly on the number five shirt far from the action. Nor is this a highlight real. More time is devoted to watching beads of sweat drip from Zidane's chin than on establishing his footballing pedigree. But the enigmatic protagonist does finally reward viewers with a mind-bending second half run that is all the more thrilling owing to the extended build up. Naturally he also displays the fiery temper that would subsequently get him tossed out of the final game of his international career. (Paul Demko)

Posted by Paul Demko at February 7, 2007 9:16 AM

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