The Beckham Bent

Fisher Stevens has a lovely tool in his bag of tricks for Beckham. It’s a visual device where the camera fixes its lens directly on the face of its titular subject. The viewer stares into his gaze as he stares straight back, except he’s actually reacting to footage of a football match. Now 48, Beckham often lights up seeing his old career in action, a sense of longing on his face. We watch him watch flashes of his former glory — and grievous wounds, as in the case of his infamous lashing out at Argentinian player Diego Simeone during the 1998 World Cup, which earned Beckham a red card and the wrath of his country.