Remember in Lockdown 1.0 when sports fans were glued to their TV/laptop/desktop/phone/tablet every Sunday to watch Michael Jordan's The Last Dance documentary?
Well, you see, Son Heung-min took that personally (though for legal purposes, I am required to inform you that he didn't take that personally, and in fact this documentary was in production long ago).
Still, the release of Sonsational has come at an opportune time for the Tottenham forward, well in with a shout of winning the Premier League Golden Boot, the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, and most importantly, the Carabao Cup.
Here's 90min's review of Sonsational.
The synopsis
The documentary focusses on the life of Son Heung-min, because what else did you think it was going to be about?
Anyway, the film runs through different timelines and narratives in the South Korean's life, firstly beginning with the more day-to-day aspects of his life as a Premier League footballer. Though he is also still like a child, having to be woken up by his father (Son Woong-jung, not Dad Heung-min) every day.
Son does a relatively good job at dealing with his fame, often asked for photographs and autographs while walking the streets of London (Hampstead specifically, for all you stalkers out there).
While club-approved behind-the-scenes documentaries are starting to become more frequent, the once private world of football is starting to have the curtains drawn back on it. Sonsational adds to that without being revolutionary, without providing us with any industry-specific information.
If you're a really, really big fan of Son, then you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, it's just an amalgamation of personal storylines and anecdotes about another elite athlete with a camera crew following them around.
Now time for everyone's favourite section - the categories!
Categories
1. Favourite moment
The perfect hashtag doesn’t exi...#Sonny
— Toby Alderweireld (@AlderweireldTob) January 18, 2021
Nominees:
- Son literally having to be woken up by his father every day
- Son insisting he drives a lot
- Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen seeing Son get mobbed in Hampstead, but opting not to help divert attention
- Thierry Henry having to buy Son dinner for losing in a football challenge
- Son wearing a football shirt to his graduation like a big nerd
WINNER:
Son's older brother, Son Heung-Yoon, was also a professional footballer, but retired due to injury and now coaches at the Son Football Academy. When it's pointed out to him that his younger sibling has played in a Champions League final, he bluntly replies: "Yeah, but he lost."
2. Most surprising moment
Nominees:
- The camera crew and narrator repeatedly revealing where Son lives
- Son's first professional goal coming against Chelsea (even if it was only a friendly)
- Son beating Henry at a football challenge
WINNER:
You'd think that for the Champions League final, Son would have something swanky lined up for his militant father to come and watch the game, right? Wrong - the poor bloke had to walk through traffic on the motorway to make the match on time.
3. Best supporting figure
Nominees:
- 90min podcaster and Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick
- The narrator, Spurs matchday announcer Paul Coyte
- The young Arsenal fan who Son had an exchange with that definitely didn't look staged at all
WINNER:
Arise, Sir Son Woong-jung - life coach first, dad second, probably entertainer third.
4. Scenes we would have liked to see
#thfc And I’m in it! ? https://t.co/iQQdyn1FpY
— Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) January 18, 2021
Nominees:
- More of Dier and Vertonghen just refusing to help Son out
- Literally anything with Son's mother
- Dan Kilpatrick with his top button done up, this is a family show
- Son crying for three hours after breaking a bone in his foot (he says this actually happened)
WINNER:
- Son's dad's reaction to the red card sustained for that challenge on Andre Gomes, even though it wasn't his fault
