Pablo Escobar was the richest, most powerful drug kingpin in the world, ruling the Medellin Cartel with an iron fist. Andres Escobar was the biggest soccer star in Colombia. The two were not related, but their fates were inextricably-and fatally-intertwined. Pablo's drug money had turned Andres' national team into South American champions, favored to win the 1994 World Cup in Los Angeles. It was there, in a game against the U.S., that Andres committed one of the most shocking mistakes in soccer history, scoring an "own goal" that eliminated his team from the competition and ultimately cost him his life. The Two Escobars is a riveting examination of the intersection of sports, crime, and politics.
This is simply pop sociology, putting too much emphasis on the first word and displaying too facile an understanding of the second one.
– David Fear,
Time Out New York,
13 Oct 2010
fresh:
Meticulously researched and beautifully interwoven, with the story of one man rhyming with the other, The Two Escobars could be a companion to the great Italian gangster movie Gomorrah...
– Scott Tobias,
AV Club,
14 Oct 2010
fresh:
One of the best sports docs in recent memory.
– Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Oct 2010
fresh:
Pic pulses with the same rhythmic mastery achieved in the filmmakers' earlier Favela Rising.
– Ronnie Scheib,
Variety,
2 Nov 2010
fresh:
Escobars captures the passion and personality of a group of exceptional athletes and their ecstatic bond with fans.