"Taika Waititi's 'Next Goal Wins': A Hilarious Soccer Comedy with Heart"
Taika Waititi's latest film, "Next Goal Wins," which dramatizes the comeback of the American Samoa soccer team, sacrifices sincerity for self-conscious humor. The movie, starring Michael Fassbender, mocks sports drama tropes while relying on them for emotional payoffs, resulting in a film that doesn't earn its grand conclusions. Waititi's heavy reliance on comedy shortchanges the characters and their development, leading to a choppy narrative rhythm. The portrayal of the first trans woman to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier is disappointing, relegating her story to wordless montages and actions that feel random and disconnected. Despite its attempts to highlight the personality and traditions of the American Samoans, the film sabotages these scenes by mocking the cluelessness of white outsiders. Overall, "Next Goal Wins" falls short of its potential by favoring humor over sincerity.