Maradona by Kusturica (2008)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Emir Kusturica

Writer:

Emir Kusturica (writer)

Release Date:

28 May 2008 (France)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A documentary on Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona, regarded by many as the world's greatest modern player. |

Cast

Lucas Fuica	...	Maradonian Church member
Emir Kusturica	...	Himself
Diego Armando Maradona	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Maradona par Kusturica (France)
Untitled Emir Kusturica Project (Spain) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Spain | France

Language:

English | Italian | Serbo-Croatian | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Company:

Estudios Picasso

Soundtrack:

La Vida Tómbola

Is this a parody?

As someone who admires both Maradona's superb abilities as a soccer player (and now coach) and Kusturica's previous films and music, I am very disappointed by what I saw in this documentary. I wasn't expecting it to be so grotesque and Fellinesque...

Clearly, the film contains a strong element of tongue-in-cheek comedy (one example is the way it features the vulgar, so-called "Church of Maradona"). But beyond that, the degree to which everyone, including Kusturica, kisses the soccer star's godly ass is unfunny and a little disgusting. I wish it were a mockumentary akin "This is Spinal Tap". Sadly, it isn't.

Maradona comes across as a person ravaged by vanity. Up to a certain point, I sympathize with him, and that's one of the film's successes. I understand that drugs and alcohol took their toll on him and I'm glad that he has been able to pull through and recover. But the arrogant manner in which he constantly expresses himself was a real let down for me.

The brand of socialism that he and Kusturica advocate in this film seems childish and clownish at best. It can be amusing to those who watch it from afar. Instead, it is tragic for those who deal with it from up close on a daily basis. -- And mind you, I'm no conservative, right-wing nut. For example, I regard Brazil's Lula as quite a respectable and accomplished center-left leader. But this is not the case with Venezuela's Chavez, a megalomaniac whose aggressive attitude and unquenchable thirst for power currently pose a major challenge to the country's democratic foundations. How can one criticize George W. Bush and approve of someone like him, when the two are in so many ways so similar?

Personally, I think this documentary can be best appreciated as an unabashed display of mediocrity by two very gifted individuals.