FILM REVIEW: Tom Meets Zizou

"I can't stand it when one says, there are many things I could have done differently. Or would do differently. I would say, a lot went totally wrong. It was not the life I wished for. But I don't want to complain about the way things went down... So, if I could choose one life, it might just be this one I've had." - Thomas Broich

There are certain films which define a generation, and for a new generation of football in Australia, there is no better example.

There was not much known about Thomas Broich upon his arrival to the Hyundai A-League. We knew his nickname in Germany was Mozart, we knew he liked to play behind the strikers and we knew something was different about him. Something special. Something that made Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou drive the ten hours across Europe just to have coffee and discuss football followed by the ten hours back to his hotel in Amsterdam.

In 2003, director Aljoscha Pause was looking for a new project to commence, wanting to create a masterpiece about football in Germany. With Tom Meets Zizou, he has certainly achieved that.

Tom Meets Zizou is an outstanding piece of art, depicting the rise and fall from grace footballers are faced with during their careers in Germany and why the pressure of results can mentally exhaust players.

Starting in the second division with SV Wacker Burghausen, Broich was identified as a player with "potential", a term we hear passed around frequently in the modern game. By the end of the 2003 season, Broich found himself on the 'most wanted' list of almost every Bundesliga club, most notably Bayern Munich who had already secured other "potentials" and under-21 national teammates Philip Lahm and Lukas Podolski. Broich, however, looked to Borussia Mönchengladbach for the new opportunities and freedom on the field.

The more of the film we watch, the more we gather a greater understanding of what the life of a professional footballer in Germany really is like - "It's all about results, it's not about performance or team spirit."

Clashes with a variety of coaches including the authoritarian Dick Advocaat meant our protagonist began to act out, rebel against the social norm by continuing his studies at university and reading literature during half-time talks and recovery sessions. Broich was labelled a different kind of player, an intellectual player.

By being a different type of footballer, Broich became disillusioned with playing in Germany. By 2009, Broich admitted to suffering from depression, "I stood on the field and felt totally wiped out without having kicked the ball once, without being exhausted... I shouldn't have been allowed to train with the club."

For our tragic hero, change had to happen.

That cup of coffee with Ange Postecoglou was enough to entice Broich to fulfil his dream of playing abroad and to find that perfect balance between life and football. In Brisbane, Broich found his nirvana.

The film has been a big success in Germany, winning numerous awards and selling out cinemas across the nation. Broich is the type of footballer every club in the world wants; creative, fast, intelligent and a team player. Tom Meets Zizou shares this experience with us, the viewers, and if there is only one football documentary you ever have the opportunity to watch, it should be this one.

Tom Meets Zizou will be available to purchase exclusively at the Brisbane Roar online store from Monday the 12th December, 2011.