Synopsis:

As with most foreign countries, Iran's primary sport is soccer and the fans are incredibly enthusiastic.  The love for one's country becomes synonymous with love for one's team.  Patriotism is displayed and pride is on display in every game.  Living in Minnesota, I have a difficult time being a Bears and Illini fan.  In Iran, I might be beaten if I cheered for another team.  Sports in foreign countries matter to everyone: young, old, male and female.  In Iran women are banned from attending sporting events.  Offside is the story of some young women who attempt to sneak into a game of massive importance (dressing as boys) and the difficulty they have in doing so. 

The Freak's Rating: B- : I have reached the summit of my quest.  When the Top 100 Sports movies were announced on Rotten Tomatoes' site not long ago, I was determined to make sure I saw the top 10.  I'd already seen 8 of them, but not the top 2.  I added Touching The Void and Offside to my queue and patiently waited. 

Offside was the highest rated one, with 100% of Critics liking it and 98% of Users liking it.  I was very surprised that a small-budget Iranian film could be ranked so highly in the poll.  I remember being somewhat insulted that American classics such as Bull Durham and Caddyshack weren't in the top spot.  However, all opinions have shifted since viewing it.

A couple years ago in the NCAA March Madness College Basketball tournament, Illinois had an AMAZING comeback.  Down 15 with 4 minutes to go, they played perfect basketball for the remainder of the game and pulled out a win.  The game was immediately shown on classic sports channels and noted as one of the greatest comebacks of all time.  Jen & I saw this game in the heart of Illini country, watching it with other Illini fans in central Illinois.  Afterwards we went to a pep rally for the team and stood outside in the cold with thousands of fans until after midnight.  We met the team, got pictures with players and coaches and cheered to fight songs with the Illini Nation.  It was one of the best  moments of my life.  The same feeling that experiences like that evoke is somehow captured into this film.

My parents have hosted multiple foreign exchange students.  We started with Nick, an Italian who stayed with us in 1991.  Gus, a Brazilian, stayed with us 4 years later and his little brother Marcus stayed with us two years after that.  Having a foreign exchange student is an amazing learning experience that I would recommend to everyone.  Seeing how people interpret our country's liberties is fascinating.

This past Christmas Marcus came to visit with his friend Patrick.  We were in the peak season for football, with the NFL playoffs being a primary topic of discussion around the family dinners.  Jen & I became engrossed in conversation with the two Brazilians about sports, specifically soccer and football.  To hear them talk about their soccer team is to hear us talk about the love for our family and friends.  In our country you see some Superfans for every team.  They order all the sports packages to watch their team.  They usually have to do a specific load of laundry devoted to their team color (in my case Orange for Illinois).  These select few fanatics (about 10% of people who call themselves fans) still barely hold a candle to foreign fans of soccer.  Soccer game days in a foreign country are insane.

Though I enjoy watching a sports event on television, attending a game is an incredible rush and a serious feeling of involvement with the team (see my explanation of being a fan on my review of We Are Marshall).   Offside lags a little in the middle, but the ending picks it up.  The film is a statement against government oppression, but also a powerful projection of the unifying power that sport can have on its fans.  This filmed is banned in Iran, ironically reinforcing the film's focal point.  The most moving scenes of Offside were filmed during an actual game in Iran, so the movie takes an authentic documentary-style turn for the last third.  It is filmed so well that you can't help but ride along with the characters, feeling their elation and depression throughout the film. 

The Iranian language is a tough one to digest, and due to the lagging some may not make it through.  The power of the message isn't felt entirely until the final minutes of the film, but sports fans will get it.  Though I do feel Touching The Void is a better film, sports fans who can digest foreign films will enjoy it.  The movie falls on the very low end of the recommending scale and certainly isn't for everyone. 

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