This documentary, a recent arrival of Amazon Prime in the UK, is a timely example of the stresses that success can lead to. Even if you have no interest in Cricket at all, Stokes' life story is quite extraordinary and his honestly about the mental health issues that befell him is something that still isn't talked about honestly enough by the majority of men.
Born in New Zealand, Ben Stokes, the son of rugby league player Gerard Stokes, moves to England when he's 12. He joins Cockermouth cricket club and begins a career that would make him a household name as he plays for England and is a key member of the side that won the 2019 World Cup. But an incident on a night out in Bristol, as well as a revelation about his family history would have him on the front page of the newspapers, as well as the back. The strain that sporting pressure and public scrutiny would put on him, has him at breaking point, forcing him to take time away from the sport he loves.
What's really interesting about this is that it revolves around an interview that Stokes does with this film's producer and big cricket fan, Sam Mendes. That interview takes place not long after he's decided to take what would end up being a temporary departure from the game and whilst I should have been the catharsis, barring some moments of anger, mentally it's like Stokes isn't there. It's a fact that they revisit later in the film, with a catch-up interview. The films directors, Chris Grubb and Luke Mellows are given lots of access to Stokes, who is open about how he's felt at various times and we see some private moments with his family, particularly his parents at a difficult time in their lives.
I do think that you can get a lot of out this, even if you have no interest in cricket. That Stokes does that at an elite level is all you need to really understand, you could substitute any other endeavour and still get the themes of the film across. The honesty on display, as well as the ability of the filmmakers to tell the story well, makes this an enjoyable, if occasionally tough, experience.
Born in New Zealand, Ben Stokes, the son of rugby league player Gerard Stokes, moves to England when he's 12. He joins Cockermouth cricket club and begins a career that would make him a household name as he plays for England and is a key member of the side that won the 2019 World Cup. But an incident on a night out in Bristol, as well as a revelation about his family history would have him on the front page of the newspapers, as well as the back. The strain that sporting pressure and public scrutiny would put on him, has him at breaking point, forcing him to take time away from the sport he loves.
What's really interesting about this is that it revolves around an interview that Stokes does with this film's producer and big cricket fan, Sam Mendes. That interview takes place not long after he's decided to take what would end up being a temporary departure from the game and whilst I should have been the catharsis, barring some moments of anger, mentally it's like Stokes isn't there. It's a fact that they revisit later in the film, with a catch-up interview. The films directors, Chris Grubb and Luke Mellows are given lots of access to Stokes, who is open about how he's felt at various times and we see some private moments with his family, particularly his parents at a difficult time in their lives.
I do think that you can get a lot of out this, even if you have no interest in cricket. That Stokes does that at an elite level is all you need to really understand, you could substitute any other endeavour and still get the themes of the film across. The honesty on display, as well as the ability of the filmmakers to tell the story well, makes this an enjoyable, if occasionally tough, experience.