Guys, the people’s moviecon Guillermo Francella as a voice-over narrator, he takes the term Boys of the song that became an emblem of the Argentine Soccer Team’s passage in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And yes, it has both the “boys” mostly on the playing field, and many fans, suffering and celebrating in Qatar and Argentina.
The documentary film, directed by Jesús Braceras (Monsoon, Barrabrava), begins with a kind of mea culpa, remembering how many no longer wanted to see Lionel Messi wear the National Team shirt, after the frustrations that had been accumulating in continental tournaments (Copa América) or the World Cups. The lost finals were like thorns that were difficult to remove.
Messi, of course, is one of the exclusive protagonists of the film. On the one hand, it is remembered that shortly after 1986, when we had won the second World Cup, Lionel Messi -In reality it was almost a year after the victory against Germany, because he was born on June 24, 1987-. We talk about that left-handed child, we see that little creature who displays his art as a child, leaving players in his path and scoring goals.
The frustrations of the World Cups and Copas América end when the goal scored by Angel Di María in the Maracaná itself arrives, consecrating the National Team as champions of America in 2021. And so, yes, they did get a thorn.
There was another one, the World Cup. And that’s where it goes, with archive images, remembering triumphs (Argentina ’78 and Mexico ’86) with frustrations (Brazil 2014, which lost the final with Germany).
Fans and players
Guys, the people’s movie, highlights images of matches with fans in Qatar and Argentina. They are, for the most part, videos recorded with a cell phone in a vertical position, to be uploaded to the fans’ own social networks. Many were seen hundreds of times, like the goals of the National Team, so there is not much news for those who followed the World Cup, but it does have a handicap: emotion.
It also reflects what happened on the playing field. And there are all the goals. There is a timing achieved in that edition between the fans in front of the television, waiting for the definition of a penalty, for example, and the disaster that broke out in several homes after moving on to a new round. Or that fan who tattooed the results on his body, as the National Team progressed.
But it is not only the Argentines that are shown, from any corner of the Argentine territory, one also sees rival fans of Argentina, such as that of Mexico, in the heart of Qatar, at the gates of the Lusail Stadium, and that of Saudi Arabia, which is they mock, and also in their country. Have they asked the Saudis for home videos?
All together, singing the anthem before the Final.There is also no shortage of celebrations in Bangladesh, barbecues in the middle of the street are mentioned, after the success against Mexico in the group zone: Argentina was a province of Qatar.
Guillermo Francella tells in first person the text that Hernán Casciari wrote – the author moves at times between the populist and the demagogic. The actor speaks in a folksy tone, which achieves immediacy with the viewer, and gets involved in the first person. We will never see Francella, but we do feel his interpretation, just listening to his voice.
There are videos from fans, YouTubers and influencers.Everyone will choose their film about the consecration of Lionel Messi. But know that this one is more on the side of the fans.
“Boys, the people’s movie”
Documental. Argentina, 2023. 108′, ATP. Of: Jesus Braceras. With the narration of: Guillermo Francella. Salas: Hoyts Dot and Abasto, Cinemark Palermo, Cinépolis Recoleta and Houssay, Showcase Belgrano, Norcenter and Quilmes.