Messi’s World Cup charts Argentina’s crisis-to-conquest victory in the 2022 World Cup,but success doesn’t mean Messi is suddenly revelatory in his interviews for this documentary. Shy off the field,and painfully averse to the controversy his comments can provoke,the 36-year-old is the antithesis of the modern sports deity. His lack of bluster is authentic,as is the anguish he felt over multiple tournament losses with Argentina. “It’s unbearable to be Messi,” explains football pundit Victor Morales,“but it’s extraordinary to be Messi.”
Illustrating that is not easy,but this four-part series succeeds thanks to an overview that’s stitched together from thoughtful talking heads and Messi’s dedicated teammates. In turn,it’s been illustrated with atmospheric footage of World Cup matches not seen in the tournament broadcast,then augmented with behind-the-scenes access. The grandeur of the Qatar-hosted tournament,and obsessive dedication of Argentinian fans serves as a contrast to Messi,who is often shot in profile so he can stay detached;sometimes his most telling answer is simply a sharp exhalation and a wry smile.
The narrative is shaped through emotional friction:Messi’s failure to satisfy Argentinian fans at previous World Cups is paramount. There’s virtually nothing about his tactical approach,or the way the team evolved after a disastrous opening match. It’s a broad approach,with an eye on American audiences,but the motivation is studded with a striking sense of how Messi,like Diego Maradona before him,is a totem of worship in a country where success in football is the medicine for national failings.
Messi eventually says a little more here than he previously has,even if a few of his final comments – heard in voiceover – sound suspiciously like narrative he’s reading. Some matches are the framework of an entire episode,some are covered in seconds,but the tournament’s finale against France couldn’t have been scripted better,and purely as a recountingMessi’s World Cup is tender and triumphant. That its subject is happiest sitting to the side thankfully creates a different portrait of sporting superstardom.
The Vince Staples Show ★★★½
Netflix
This succinct comedy series from American hip-hop star Vince Staples comes with a caveat:it’s deeply reminiscent of Donald Glover’s sublimeAtlanta,whether in the absurd escalations of everyday scenarios or the deadpan tone. Transplanted to ‘The Beach’,a chaotic representation of California’s Long Beach,the show takes satire to the edge of the macabre from the first episode,where Staples finds himself in a local jailhouse with chatty cops and a fellow inmate who won’t stop singing a song he wrote.