Eric Cantona, the legendary French soccer player and cultural icon, is the subject of the documentary 'Cantona'. The film, directed by David Tryhorn and Ben Nicholas, offers a glossy and enthralled portrait of Cantona, delving into his athletic prowess, volatile personality, and enduring eccentric quotability. The documentary is an enjoyable and surface-level exploration of Cantona's career, recounting the highs and lows of his time on the field, with a respectful awe towards his inner life. The film's strength lies in its generous new interview material with Cantona, as well as a host of A-list colleagues and admirers, including former Manchester United teammate David Beckham and manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The documentary's editing style, made dynamic by Andrew Hewitt, effectively establishes Cantona's icon status through a relentless introductory montage, crosscutting between archival and present-day interviews, match footage, famous soundbites, home video, and fragments of Cantona's film career. The film then settles into a more conventional talking-heads affair, with little new insight or information offered on Cantona's Manchester United years. However, Cantona's bearish and spirited personality brings color to the Wikipedia-style summary, and fans will get a thrill from his defiant current stance on the assault. The film also touches briefly on Cantona's post-soccer career as an actor and all-purpose French VIP, with several amusing clips from his good-humored and highly meta self-portrayal in Ken Loach's 2009 comedy 'Looking for Eric'. Overall, 'Cantona' is an enjoyable and engaging documentary that provides a fascinating glimpse into the life and career of one of soccer's most iconic figures.
