(Many thanks to our guest contributor for the review – Danny Jamieson, Assistant Producer for Premier League Productions and NBCSN.)
Director:Â Anthony Wonke
Starring:Â Cristiano Ronaldo
Rating:Â PG
Running time:Â 102 mins
Release date: November 9th, 2015
Cristiano Ronaldo. A name that needs very little introduction. Even those who dislike football or for the individuals unfamiliar with the sport will recognise his name. He is considered as one of the greatest footballers of all time, as the triple Ballon D’Or winner continues to break records and score a breathtaking amount of goals for Spanish giants Real Madrid.Â
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In the documentary, RONALDO the film-makers have been granted unprecedented access to the global sports star and the inner circle of football’s elite. After 14 months of meticulous filming, one would expect a fascinating, all-revealing insight into the sporting icon, but it doesn’t quite deliver that.Â
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The documentary is certainly airbrushed; a fluffed up, carefully controlled film, which appears to attempt to solidify the Portuguese international’s name in history as one of the greatest players rather than deliver anything new.Â
The Anthony Wonke-directed film follows the Portuguese star for a year documenting his personal and professional life. We’re taken on a behind-the-scenes journey of a player battling the balance between global superstar and doting father.Â
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As the scenes unfold, Ronaldo is painted as a solitary, almost lonely figure with only his family and super-agent Jorge Mendes for company. It’s here the film perhaps has its greatest successes; painting its subject as a sympathetic character trying to do his best for his family – it is easy to forget amongst all the posing and posturing that there is a human being behind the infamous CR7 shirt.
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Despite the titular name of the documentary, the film is stolen by the two more peripheral figures in the film: son, Cristiano Jr and his mother, Dolores. Ronaldo’s son will steal many hearts with some very endearing lines and this is particularly evident when he offers to show his father how to take a penalty properly, not to mention when he is attempting to keep up with his Dad’s fitness regime.
The adorable mini-Cristiano is a scene-stealer, but the real heart of the film is Dolores, Ronaldo’s mother. From a difficult start, she reveals that she actually wanted to abort her pregnancy before changing her mind and it’s clear to see she lives her life vicariously through every kick of her son’s career. Whilst seeing the two family members on screen together, it is clear to the most sceptic of audiences that there is genuine emotion with every wince, exasperated shout and every celebration.
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We see that Ronaldo possesses extreme self-confidence (which may come across at times as bordering on arrogance), but it is that trait that has helped to propel him from the small island of Madeira to the pinnacle of world football. Ronaldo’s unwavering commitment to personal excellence is clear to see, especially with his almost pathological obsession with topping great rival Lionel Messi and winning the coveted Ballon D’Or accolade. This in particular forms the climax of the documentary, with both players meeting in Switzerland for the 2015 award.
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The documentary does boast intimate scenes between family members and loved ones, but don’t expect any huge revelations into the personality or private life of Ronaldo in this film. To be brutally honest, the documentary is clearly stage-managed, but it beggars the question:Â what do we truly learn?
At times, Cristiano Jr is ordered to do what his father wants, not for any other reason it feels other than to provide another stage-managed set piece to show how homely and touching he can be. It’s almost as if every scene in the film is expressly designed to counter the popular notion that Ronaldo is the arrogant, selfish antithesis of Lionel Messi, the supposedly humble, likeable footballing hero.
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Unfortunately, it is difficult to look at RONALDO as anything more than an elongated advert for its subject’s virtues; highlighting his devotion to Cristiano Jr and his family, whilst trying to partake in ‘normal’ things like the school run – in a Rolls Royce of course. This is frequented with the casual drops of his immense wealth and status thrown in almost as reminders of how great he is (asking his son to look in his extensive garage and work out which ludicrously expensive car is missing – the answer being his Lamborghini) and scenes are entwined with the constant voiceover reminders that Ronaldo – definitely not Messi – is the greatest player in the game. This is perhaps best illustrated with a gloriously sycophantic diatribe from agent Jorge Mendes around the dinner table, massaging an ego that by the looks of things doesn’t need much more attention.
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There was almost a heavy weight of high expectation for RONALDO, coming from the same team that made the utterly brilliant SENNA, however it is not as successful and there is a slightly disappointing lack of archive footage of the young Ronaldo in his formative years. This could perhaps help to explore more of his private persona rather than the bulletproof, carefully managed image that’s projected in mainstream media. This could be because the multi-Bafta-winning director Anthony Wonke‘s creative freedom was capped. Who knows?Â
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Overall, RONALDO delivers enough to entertainment football fans, but if you’re looking for a real insight into a superstar’s private life, this isn’t the film for you.
Verdict
Many thanks to our guest contributor for the review – Danny Jamieson, Assistant Producer for Premier League Productions and NBCSN. You can keep up with his sports ramblings on twitter here.
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