I don’t really
follow sports, and have never been much of a competitive person in that regard.
I can appreciate the talents and abilities that go into playing the games, but
find the personalities of entitlement and inflated egos an infuriating aspect
of what it can become. Winning becomes everything and that’s usually when I
lose interest. The reason why I hate sports but love sports movies is because
the films always focus on the underdogs and the improvement of character that inevitably
helps them win. In some of the best, they don’t even have to win for it to be a
victory.
Although Next Goal Wins is a documentary, it may
as well have been designed to be a Hollywood
underdog film. It is inspiring, not only to see the men improve their game on
the field, but to become better people through the process. The film follows
the soccer team of American Samoa , a tiny Pacific Island Australia
with an astounding 31-0 final score, American
Samoa
In an effort to
improve their ranking in the qualifying rounds of the World Cup, the American
Samoan team brought in the help of Dutch coach Thomas Rongen for the last month
before the games. His personality first appears to clash with both the team and
the cinematic mentality of winning. It appears to be all that matters to him at
the beginning of the film, but by the end he seems changed because of the
relationships rather than any success they have on the field. This is not to
say that they don’t have success, and it is a glorious thing to watch once you
have invested the time to get to know the players.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
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