Almost Giants

The scouts

A sports doc that actually *respects* the form instead of trying to subvert it—which is almost refreshing until you realize it's just a well-made film about exactly what the title promises, no twist, no wink, no argument with itself.

Toole's formal restraint—letting the incremental rigor of athletic training carry the emotional weight rather than manufactured drama—situates this squarely in the observational documentary tradition, with the Budapest competition serving as both literal culmination and structural crescendo.

The decision to linger on the mundane repetition of practice rather than chase competition footage is what makes this work; it's the unglamorous texture of preparation that becomes genuinely moving, and that choice separates it from standard sports cinema.