Messi

A documentary with a different execution among many, but that tells the story from a perspective through narratives, conversations, and interesting images.

"Messi" is an experience that can easily divide opinions due to its approach; however, its level of importance in relation to the player adds a lot to it. Without failing to mention the emphasis on Lionel Messi's football growth over the years.

Director Álex de la Iglesia presented a different alternative that has its merits, but in terms of recreated scenes, it leaves much to be desired. However, he makes every effort to provide a pleasant experience. The addition of famous football faces, coaches, commentators, family, and friends is of great importance.

Having the one and only Johan Cruijff in conversation is a masterclass for all the spectators. How he expresses himself, what he conveys, and his aura are on another level.

The documentary has remarkable reflective messages, promoting the Argentine's talent and his ability to adapt to his environment. Covering themes such as family bonds, the value of friendship, personal growth, continuous improvement, sacrifices, health, dreams, among others, are clearly depicted in what is seen on screen.

The editing of the documentary, the addition of images, and those real videos are brutal. Lionel Messi is another football legend, his potential and change of pace are incredible.

6.5/10.

The movie was nice..

was nice to watch the story of a legend. How a little kid with Growth hormone deficiency became a legend in football.

"He's a problem solver, a game changer, the greatest player to have played the game.

Once they said they can only stop him with a pistol. Today you need a machine gun to stop Messi.

the movie is about his whole life.how he started his football career, what troubles he faced and how he succeeded.

Watch the movie and enjoy.

this was just terrible! if you're not getting headache well done! man.. no wonder this film as only one nomination to some who knows prize.. the choose to interview so many people in a weird restorant was one of the worst i've seen. i'll never watch this director again! man this is one sick documentary!

As a big Messi fan (who actually support Sevilla), I was not so excited about this movie. I read his biography (both Caioli and Balague's books), I watch his every matches. So I thought to myself "there won't be anything new" but I watched the movie last night and I was touched by it.

It as really amazing seeing his friends, former teammates and coaches and everyone else.

It's always nice to watch or listen the story of a legend. How a little kid with ghd became a legend?

We all know Messi the Footballer but seeing people who know about him since his childhood made me learn few things about Leo the Person. And it was amazing. We, fans, always want to learn more about people we admire, our idols. We want to know more about their lives. And Álex de la Iglesia (with Jorge Valdano) did a great job here.

Messi, with his intelligence, his speed, his skills and his personality, is simply the greatest player ever.

Well done!

Messi's Barcelona has the capacity to transform one's beliefs regarding football. With the Argentine at its centre, Rijkard's, Guardiola's, Villanova's and Enrique's teams have won all they could, but Barcelona stood out through the way in which it scintillated when Messi was playing his best. Which is most of the time, really.

De la Iglesia's documentary does not do him justice. Set in between highlights reels, flashback reconstructions and dull restaurant conversations, it feels like someone throwing as many ideas and emotions at you as possible, in the hope of playing a percentage game. The problem lies in the film's lack of focus and depth. Seemingly countless people are interviewed, sourced from Messi's childhood friends and teachers, the media, through to his current teammates or past coaches - a mixture bordering on the desperate, trying to fill the void of purpose. Yet, the material feels so slight and provides so little insight into who the man really is, that it tells little beyond a linear story. A story most people who follow Messi would know by now - the growth hormones, the challenges faced from living far from home at such an early age, the endless Maradona comparisons.

Nothing ever seems to go beyond the first layer of complexity. Five minutes or so are dedicated to the relationship Messi has to fans of the national team, there's a cursory mentioning of the tax fraud accusations, and the difficult, injury-plagued 2013-14 season is not brought up at all. As an ode to his footballing genius, there's something to grab a hold of here, but it barely manages to convey the beauty and poetry of what Messi achieves on a football pitch.

What's worse is that a much better movie could have come about, even relying on the limited input available. Why, if you have the likes of Pique, Mascherano, Iniesta or the former Argentine manager Alejandro Sabella, would you spend such a huge chunk of your time with flat memories of friends who are apparently no longer a part of Messi's life? The most watchable moments are those when Menotti or Cruyff discuss the wider importance of Messi to Barcelona, his tactical importance in relation to his technical abilities, but they are few and far between.

Unfortunately, the experience of de la Iglesia's documentary is too bland to matter and too emotionally manipulative to elicit actual feelings.