Anelka: Misunderstood

It was very watchable. But i found the voice overs / narrations very off putting. I understand even though most people could speak English fluently they chose to skeak in their native tongue, no problem. But why not have their voices narrated in english by French voice actors with french accents.

A great behind the scenes story of a truly misunderstood footballer. His talents were never fully appreciated, including by myself. I forgot how great he acually was and this film did a great job reminding me of it. Misunderstood shows Anelka's journey through numerous clubs and how he lives up to the title of being misunderstood by being perceived as being selfish and arrogant where that wasn't really the case. A great watch for any football lover!!

I never followed Nicolas Anelka's career with a lot of attention, but he's the kind of player who was always on your radar if you cared about football during the 2000s. His reluctance to be a superstar is supposed to explain the drama he brought wherever he played, but a documentary that sides so definitively with its subject is bound to feel unsatisfying in the end.

The first half of the movie is a well structured presentation/self-portrait of Anelka the player and Anelka the man, a complicated character who can, indeed, be easily judged as flippant and arrogant. The second half becomes mired in director Eric Hannezo's efforts to stick to his "misunderstood" subtitle, at the cost of sacrificing the documentary's chronology. That's why more controversial events of Anelka's career are brought forward, time spent at various clubs is conspicuously compressed or wholly ignored, and the story concludes on France's scandalous 2010 representation at the World Cup, with Anelka in the limelight.

In many ways, it feels like Anelka is a version of Ibrahimovic that was disliked. The documentary offers little insight as to why that might be, beyond pointing fingers at the media and managers, with some of the better insights coming from former Arsenal honcho, Arsene Wenger. So while there are definitely interesting facets to Hannezo's docu, the numerous exculpations make for a less than engaging watch, leaving too much unsaid - or unasked.

Coincidentally, I watched this right after I finished The Last Dance. Both documentaries covered successful athletes but there was also a lot of drama. Both men had similar personalities. I don't know how to put this, but when I watched MJ's story I saw a true team player. Whereas in this documentary I thought Anelka was a capricious athlete always clashing with his managers. I do get the part that he was unfairly treated for 2010 World Cup scandal, but overall I just thought some of his behavior was a bit too much for a team player.

Besides this, story line is a bit dull and superficial. Most of the documentary is like I did this and that. I didn't deserve this etc. There was nothing much about emotions of players in a team environment or some sort of a connection.

Everything set aside, I did enjoyed watching him play back in the day. I think this documentary doesn't make the cut for him. Also, if you haven't watched The Last Dance I strongly recommend it.

Nothing must see, but its okay You get a inside og Anelka