DOCUMENTARY REVIEW

Earlier this year, when pictures of the players of Manchester United's renowned Class of '92 together around Old Trafford surfaced on the internet, United supporters like I thought they probably went to show their support to Moyes and the young lads now playing for Manchester United. Little did we know that filming of a documentary was in progress, which was released on December 1, 2013, directed by Benjamin and Gabe Turner, centring the rise to prominence of six talented young footballers of MUFC.
The plot of the documentary is simple -- the evolution of six footballer friends who trained with each other, helped each other out, won youth cups together, got called into the first team of MUFC together, and went on to win the treble in the '98-'99 season. The six players in question here are David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs -- all of whom, save Giggs, have retired from professional football. These are the same “kids” whom Alan Hansen underestimated in start of the '95-'96 season by saying “You can win nothing with kids.” They went on to become the league and cup champions that very season and later on, legends.
It is, however, the execution of the documentary that makes it one of the best of its kind. There was no central narrator. All the above mentioned players were interviewed differently and then brought together for a dinner. We hear them take a trip down memory lane about every aspect of their years together and reminisce the fun times as well as the difficult ones. Each player had a section assigned for him, where everyone describes him, and we get to see his defining moment according to them. They even team up with some other mates of Fergie's Fledglings, who couldn't make it big in the industry, to share a friendly game themselves and relive fleeting moments in their beloved dressing room. Moreover, we witness their development and contribution -- alongside the rest of the Manchester United squad -- in the treble winning '98-'99 season.
One low point portrayed was how Phil and David were both antagonised by the media after some mistakes they made in the field. However, the rest of their friends supported them even at those low points, as did the manager. Throughout the course of the documentary, we get to learn facts that were previously unknown, and get to see a different side of each of the six stars. They were relatable and funny; even the shy Paul Scholes opened up in a humorous way. We also see their skills -- Phil's double step-over and David's free kick through a tire being memorable.
Other former footballers, such as Eric Cantona, Zinedine Zidane and Eric Harrison, shared their expert opinions on the famed six. Former Prime Minister of UK, Tony Blair, reflected how people in distant lands didn't know him, but knew the name of David Beckham, commenting that football indeed has the power to unify. The Stone Roses' bassist Gary Mounfield, and movie director Danny Boyle also reminisced their favourite United moments.
Beyond everything, this film is not about winning titles and super stardom; it's about a group of kids from working-class families, whose unconditional friendship made them grow as footballers, as stars, and most importantly as people. This movie is not only for MUFC fans, but for football fans in general. Even those who don't enjoy football will not fail to see the shades of friendship in this documentary.
 
Verdict: I referred this documentary to a Kopite friend of mine, who was awed by the sheer brilliance with which it was made. So it's a definite for football lovers, even if you despise Manchester United.