Dir.
Paul Crowder and John Dower, 2006, US, 92 mins
Cast: Matt Dillon (narrator) Interviewees: Carlos Alberto, Rodney Marsh, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia
Review by Stephen Collings
The nightmare scenario of the Americanisation and rebranding of “soccer”, our most beloved and British of sports, was the idea behind Budweiser’s recent ad campaign. But the truth, as they say, is often stranger than fiction. Almost thirty years before business entrepreneurs like Roman Abramovich indulged themselves in fantasy football with real-life teams, Warner Brothers chairman Steve Ross set the blueprint for the modern game, assembling the best players from across the globe to play under the banner of the New York Cosmos. Produced by John Battsek (One Day In September) and co-directed by John Dower (Live Forever) and Paul Crowder, Once In A Lifetime charts the astronomic rise and equally sudden collapse of the original dream team.
Despite being the most popular sport in the world, soccer had never truly captured the imagination of the American populace, but self-made millionaire Ross saw the vast commercial potential of bringing this exotic European sport to the masses, acquiring a rag-tag team with mediocre credentials and even worse attendance records, whose only claim to fame was the soft (and not-so-soft) core centrefold antics of their moustachioed goalkeeper, Shep Messing. Within five years, the New York Cosmos and the landscape of the North American Soccer League had changed beyond all recognition through a heady mixture of aggressive marketing and million-dollar signings. Brazilian genius Pelé, his fellow countryman Carlos Alberto, German warhorse Franz Beckenbauer and Italian enfant terrible Giorgio Chinaglia all donned Cosmos jerseys and became instant celebrities in the process.
By 1977, while the blackouts and Summer of Sam serial murders rocked America’s de facto capital, more traditional pastimes like baseball and basketball took a back seat as New Yorkers flocked to see the Cosmos. From Jagger to Kissenger, Capote to Ali, the great and good graced the Cosmos’ dressing room, while the players themselves indulged in all that New York had to offer, including reservations at the in vogue Studio 54 and lurid tales that set the blueprint for the tabloid antics of modern-day players. Ross may have ignited a revolution in American sport, but his stars burned too brightly, and with the failure to secure the essential television rights needed to sustain the game, the league collapsed and Ross’ dream was over.
Combining archive footage and talking-head anecdotes from former players, coaches and even the Bugs Bunny mascot, the conflicts and simmering resentments between those who lay claim to the Cosmos’ success and allocate the blame for its demise make for a contradictory but nonetheless amusing tale of egos and excess. Whilst the sadly departed Ross is missing to tell his side of the story, and Pelé declined to be interviewed, the irrepressible Chinaglia is a fine substitute. His portly figure belies his athletic days, but his bloated ego is on fine form and provides the film’s most laugh-out-loud moments. In another extract, English import Rodney Marsh cheekily recalls how his side beat a lusty but lacklustre Cosmos after sending a liquor and lady-filled limo to greet Pelé and Chinaglia at the airport on the eve of a season finale clash.
Rather like an England team without a left wing, however, Once In A Lifetime is a decidedly uneven affair. Although visually engaging, the film lacks any real insight or direction and, like the Cosmos’ dusty pitch painted green for the cameras, is essentially an exercise in style over substance. A heavy dose of nostalgia is viewed through star-spangled shades as the filmmakers pay affectionate tribute to the visual clichés of the era. From the cool jazz soundtrack to the split-screen edits, Once In A Lifetime revels in ‘70s iconography but is an ultimately populist experience better suited to the small screen.
Lining up alongside the cream of new releases at the recent Berlin Film Festival, the film found itself in sporting company as features about football unsurprisingly dominated proceedings, as Germany prepares itself to stage the World Cup. While the beautiful game’s brief makeover at the hands of Steve Ross came to a messy end, the film’s coda reflects how the Cosmos inspired the next generation of US soccer that has since seen the country host the 1994 World Cup and now sees its national team in the top five world rankings. So while we all get ready for a spot of flag-waving nationalism, this story of football from the land of fast food is a timely appetiser.
|
