‘National Champions’ Review: A College Football Revolution


In New Orleans, two college teams, the Cougars and Wolves, are days away from facing off in a big game – a game that will make or break a coach’s legacy. That would be James Lazor from Wolves. “Monday night is about to get his name in the history books,” says one of the TV sports announcers who exaggerated the game.

Star quarterback LeMarcus James has other plans. Along with his best friend, a younger player named Emmett Sunday, James goes on strike. “More than 12,000 people participate in a multi-billion dollar business that doesn’t even give us health insurance,” James says in a televised statement, citing his fellow athletes from college.

Written by Adam Mervis and directed by Ric Roman Waugh, “National Champions” is a drama whose timeliness has only been compromised by the NCAAs. last temporary policy to enable athletes to generate income through endorsement agreements. According to the argument of this fictional film, this real-life change only slightly changes the overall picture for college athletes.

Coach Lazor is played by JK Simmons, but his character here is not a “Whiplash” style martinet. He is apparently affectionate and says he sees LeMarcus as a son. But unsurprisingly, the patriarchal stance of the coach is then shown as part of the problem.

The movie wants to score points in its classification and compete fiercely. Captivatingly portrayed by Stephan James, LeMarcus is Black, and then again Katherine Poe (an imposing and enigmatic Ouzo Aduba at the same time), the ruthless lawyer the NCAA has put on a mission to destroy and discredit the quarterback. Vicious intrigue echoes a maxim popularized by celebrities. Jenny Holzer: “The abuse of power is not surprising.” But the movie is toned down by the lackluster aspect of the samey scenes – people talking in hotel rooms – and a distracting night soap subplot.

National Champions
Rated R for language. Duration: 1 hour 56 minutes. In movie theaters.



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