Despite some positive reviews I heard, I probably wouldn't have watched this documentary about the life and career of David Beckham, purely because I can remember most of it, and didn't think it would have much new stuff to tell me. However, it appeared on the Guardian's Best of 2023 list, so I had to at least give it a try. I ended up burning through the whole series in just a couple of sessions.
Encouraged by his father from an early age, David Beckham signs for Manchester United and plays his part in a legendary period of success for the club. His good looks, as well as his talent, provide him with sponsorship opportunities and his fame goes stratospheric when he begins a relationship with Spice Girl Victoria Adams. Intending to stay at Old Trafford his entire career, he falls out with Sir Alex Ferguson and is sold to Real Madrid, which puts pressure on his family life.
Fisher Stevens really does a good job of getting to speak to everybody involved I the Beckham's story, with one notable exception, which I'll come back to. Sir Alex, Fabio Capello and dozens of his teammates from his various clubs are interviewed, even legends like Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. There's a really cool and repeated shot choice, with an extreme closeup on a persons face as they watch a highlight. Both David and Victoria are quite open about what they felt at various points in his career, and often only really come to process some of their thoughts during these discussions. I know this story, and pretty well, but I think it does a good job of explaining what everything means at the time, to someone who wasn't interested in football.
I would say that it does gloss over the alleged affair a bit. They talk about the strain of media stories about the affair, but never whether it actually happened, and Rebecca Loos doesn't feature (presumably this was to keep their actual subjects on side).
So, it's not the most balanced documentary ever made, but neither is it a shallow puff piece about them. It's thorough and entertaining though and I enjoyed it.
Encouraged by his father from an early age, David Beckham signs for Manchester United and plays his part in a legendary period of success for the club. His good looks, as well as his talent, provide him with sponsorship opportunities and his fame goes stratospheric when he begins a relationship with Spice Girl Victoria Adams. Intending to stay at Old Trafford his entire career, he falls out with Sir Alex Ferguson and is sold to Real Madrid, which puts pressure on his family life.
Fisher Stevens really does a good job of getting to speak to everybody involved I the Beckham's story, with one notable exception, which I'll come back to. Sir Alex, Fabio Capello and dozens of his teammates from his various clubs are interviewed, even legends like Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. There's a really cool and repeated shot choice, with an extreme closeup on a persons face as they watch a highlight. Both David and Victoria are quite open about what they felt at various points in his career, and often only really come to process some of their thoughts during these discussions. I know this story, and pretty well, but I think it does a good job of explaining what everything means at the time, to someone who wasn't interested in football.
I would say that it does gloss over the alleged affair a bit. They talk about the strain of media stories about the affair, but never whether it actually happened, and Rebecca Loos doesn't feature (presumably this was to keep their actual subjects on side).
So, it's not the most balanced documentary ever made, but neither is it a shallow puff piece about them. It's thorough and entertaining though and I enjoyed it.