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tigerdoom
Reviews
Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything (2023)
Self pity by the pocketful
Almost two hours of relentless self pity by the self proclaimed genius. The film shows a dark side of the player, not often seen by fans or spectators alike. That's a good thing because self- flagellation and contrition don't go well together.
Don't get me wrong, O'Sullivan is the best exponent of the game by far, and this documentary goes beyond what you see on the snooker table.
It's not great.
Take out the cameo appearances by his famous friends and the sparse snooker coverage and you're left with a melancholic view of a tour player feeling sorry for his lot in life.
O'Sullivan comes across as a petulant schoolboy that nobody understands. If this documentary is his idea of making peace with himself then all well and good. Just don't inflict your indulgent self-pity on the viewer. It's beyond nauseating.
In one segment of the film we have O'Sullivan mocking mental illness (perhaps in jest) like he's the first to succumb to depression. It isn't insightful or clever.
Finally its hard to reconcile the opportunities the sport has afforded him with the disdain he has for the game of snooker generally.