Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

No matter what you think of the abrupt ending of Zidane's career during the World Cup, there is no denying that the method in which he did it was as unorthodox and inspired as the rest of his playing. Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest footballers of our time, and one whose skills seem to have been largely ignored by the British public and media alike.

This film is simply a study of the man on the pitch during a match between Real Madrid and Villareal. Shot with 17 cameras, under the guidance of cinematographer Darius Khondji (Se7en), it just focusses on the legendary French captain as we are treated to a visual spectacular of footballing skills and personality.

As a piece of documentary filmmaking it is stunning, from its camera work to the editing and the soundtrack score by Mogwai. As a piece of entertainment, it is really limited to football fans who are more than prepared to watch men kicking a ball around for 90 minutes. Although I can appreciate the footballing and filmmaking skills on show, not being a fan of the "beautiful game" I found it all a bit tedious. Now if there was an edited highlights...

Showing as part of Best of the Fest, Sunday 27 August, 15:15, Cineworld Edinburgh

Coming soon to an art gallery near you