Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)

Touches You

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely Brilliant!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Pele was a great footballer, he won three World Cup with a Brazil that played an exciting and extravagant form of football known as Ginga.This films charts what to me is a fictionalised account of his boyhood days playing football in the poor area of São Paulo that seems to be cliched to the extreme. Being made fun off by the white kids for playing football with his bare feet. Then later on being criticised for his flamboyant style of football.The film comes to life as see the rise of Pele in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden where he played at the age of 17 and still remains the youngest player to score at a World Cup final.It is a rather superficial film, it only concentrates on Pele up to his first World Cup win. The young actor playing Pele shows great football skill. Some of the recreations are well done and the great man himself makes a little cameo experience.

This is a truly wonderful film that all the family can watch. Kevin de Paula is excellent as Pele and all the supporting cast were just brilliant. the early parts of the movie were very entertaining and showed Pele's early life with his friends and the antics they got up to. There are some truly funny moments and also some sadness. The actors who played members of the Brazilian football team were first class and looked like they could genuinely play, but Kevin de Paula's skills were outstanding and it was like looking at the real Pele.Over all a wonderful movie about a man for whom the word legend really does apply.Loved this movie so much and I am sure I will watch it many times.

...because I don't remember when I saw a movie that was so highly clichéd... Wow. It looks really good but the story has every cliché that you've ever seen. It's remarkable really.All the tropes, clichés and tragedies are there. From rags to riches. Skipping the football shoes in a pivotal moment to play bare feet. Getting ridiculed for that. Somber music in notable beats. Beating the over class. Getting ridiculed for that before that. Friends that lose their lives. Promises. Full Metal Jacket style training. Losing faith, only to regain it.. Christ almighty. Why do people like this movie?I need to read the other reviews.

Pelé: Birth of a Legend follows the life of Pelé's meteoric rise from the slums of Sao Paulo to leading Brazil to its first World Cup victory at the age of 17.Needless to say this film is same like any other biographical drama that focus on the star's raise from bottom to top made with the intention only to inspire you. The director tries nothing hard to focus anything but a biographical drama.The story inspires you every bit like any other inspirational film would, From the childhood to winning the 1958 world cup the wish to succeed the struggles, the leap of faith, the support and love from your parents, the difference we have from the others which should be accepted to make it best, the final winning smile. These clinched moments keep you entertained throughout the film and 1 hour 47 minutes is worth spending.Unlike the usual sports films the film focuses on something that is different from others 'The Heritage', The need to keep us in the space we are comfortable to and the adaptation from others which aren't comfortable of is itself a good small message that can be conveyed.Background score by A.R Rahman feels a little bit underplayed, scoring music for an Hollywood film ARR has set a benchmark with Slumdog millionaire but the expectation is too high for him to satisfy our greed. One of my favorite themes from the film 'Oh Ginga' comes only at the end of the film and with the way it escalates the theme could have been used in the other parts too.Concluding it, Not calling is better or worse than any other sport film, Pelé: Birth of a Legend is an yet an another clinched sport film that is made to inspire us and does as promised.