For someone who watched football in the 90s, the ponytailed figure of Roberto Baggio leading his team from the front in every match with the same zealous energy is a memory that can’t be easily erased. Nor can the iconic image of Italian football’s legendary forward and attacking midfielder ever be forgotten in the annals of world football. Baggio, in his career span of roughly three decades, gave the sport some of the most memorable moments and the biographical feature film “Baggio: The Divine Ponytail” (l Divin Codino) celebrates his contributions.

The movie starts when Baggio (Andrea Arcangeli) is 17-years-old and plays for the local team L.R Vicenza. Born to a lower middle-class family, Roberto lives with his parents and seven other siblings in a small apartment. The opening scenes with long shots in the confined space of his family home suggest how chaotic and equally colorful Roberto’s early life must have been.

Then, in 1985, he is recruited by the Serie A team Florentina, a big moment for him and his family. Everyone around Roberto seems to be supportive of his football career and see him making a name for himself and the country, except for his father Florindo (Andrea Pennacchi). Baggio has an uncomfortable relationship with his father and although Florindo is not totally against his son’s career, he is not very appreciative either.

But Baggio is unhindered by any negativity in his life, including a major knee injury he gets in the early stage of his career. Baggio quickly recovers physically and gets into Buddhism to help him recover spiritually and goes on to deliver record-setting performances in football. In 1993, he wins the coveted Ballon d’Or and is in the peak of his career when in World Cup 1994 he misses a deciding penalty against Brazil in the finals. This incident would haunt him for the rest of his life, even giving him nightmares at times.

The movie Baggio, directed by Letizia Lamartire, covers most of the footballer’s professional life and some of his personal life in a fast-paced sequence of events. The storytelling is quick and concise, but owing to its brevity of just 91 mins, the film feels more clustered than compact. Many questions have been left unanswered. There also seems to be a discrepancy in the chronology of Baggio’s life and career.

We get little into the life of Baggio and are shown more of what is easily available on the internet. For instance, his embrace of Buddhism, as shown in the movie, is unconvincing. Also, we are told in words that Baggio has had problems with his coaches all through his career, but we do not get to witness much of this conflict. Nor do we see his relationships with his fellow players, some of them icons in their own rights. For the rest of the film, there is just not enough conviction and emotion as expected in a passionate biography of a famous sportsperson.

Actor Andrea Arcangeli, playing Roberto Baggio, cannot be blamed for this though. He has done a convincing job of portraying the flamboyant Baggio on screen. He acts his part and definitely looks his part, doing everything expected from an actor. It’s the storytelling that lets the film down. The makers seem to be confused about whether they would like to show the professional side of Baggio, or his personal side, and end up not doing enough on both the fronts.

I had never expected I would ever say this, but this film is just too short! A sportsman with Baggio’s list of contributions and achievements should have definitely been given more screen time. With the healthy pace the film maintains, a 2.5hr long feature or even a mini-series would have been more interesting.

Who should watch it?

Football fans, new and old, unquestionably. Even if not as a good movie, watch it as an ode to the rockstar of international football. As mentioned, the film’s steady pace will not let you get bored even if you find a lot of pieces in the puzzle missing, and the acting performances are decent enough.

Rating: 2.5 stars
Genre: Biography, drama
Actors: Andrea Arcangeli, Andrea Pennacchi
Director: Letizia Lamartire
Run time: 1hr 31mins