332. Diego Maradona; movie review

DIEGO MARADONA
Cert 12A
127 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, nudity, bloody detail, drug references

Last year, former England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, tweeted: "I'll never forgive Maradona, I will never shake his hand, it's never going to happen, not in my lifetime!"
He was, of course, referring to the infamous 'Hand of God" goal which helped Argentina to a 2-1 World Cup quarter-final win in 1986.
His reaction typifies the polarised view of one of the greatest footballers ever to play the game. Put simply, people either love him or loathe him.
In Naples, where he helped propel a team without any record of success to two Italian league titles and the UEFA Cup, he is revered.
Asif Kapadia's enlightening and entertaining documentary focuses mainly on this period in Maradona's life when he went from being hailed as the world's best footballer to being ostracised as a drug addict.
It traces the route from hero to zero with interviews which act as a narrative to the contemporary footage.
Maradona was a very public figure so there is no shortage of material of him at home, with friends or, obviously, playing the most beautiful of games.
Interestingly, those closet to him suggest that he is a split personality - on one hand, the charming, warm and even vulnerable Diego while Mr Hyde is represented by the hard-as-nails, self-centred Maradona.
Many, as Shilton and others evidence, will never forgive Maradona for what they have described as cheating. Meanwhile, others will not give him any grace for the drug-taking or the philandering.
Having watched this excellent documentary, I would say a second thought needs to be given to the pressures on footballers who, often having come from very poor backgrounds, are expected to cope with fortune and, more importantly, fame.
Kapadia's film charts his life from his upbringing in a slum where he was a young boy just kicking a ball against a wall to being under the spotlight in Naples where he faced the demands of his club president, the media and even the city's mafia.
It shows how someone who did so much for a city was treated so badly and the reasons why.
I found it utterly compelling but, of course, I am an avid football fan.

Reasons to watch: A deep delve into the real story of Diego Maradona
Reasons to avoid: If you are not interested in football

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? Diego Maradona played 490 official club games during his 21-year professional career, scoring 259 goals; for Argentina, he played 91 games and scored 34 goals. An Internet poll conducted by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association named Maradona the top player of the 20th century.


Final word. Asif Kapadia: "The thing about Diego Maradona is that he does not sit there and self-analyse. He’s never made a mistake in his life. Maradona is never wrong.” i News

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