Witness the rise and fall of Montreal's only MLB team between 1969 and 2004.
For those familiar with the Montreal Expos, this documentary may answer some of your questions about the former baseball team. However, for those unfamiliar with them, this documentary will help you become acquainted with the team, though not in great depth. The Montreal Expos were a very successful baseball team that played from 1969 to 2004 in the National League. They were Montreal's only MLB team. They won most of their games and had a large fan base. However, after the conclusion of the 2004 season, the owners decided to move the franchise to Washington, where it became the Washington Nationals.
Director: Jean-François Poisson
Stars: Jeremy Filosa, Ménick, Rodger Brulotte
At the beginning of the documentary, we are shown clips of the players during their victories. We see fans cheering, jerseys for sale, and so on. We can literally see the impact the Montreal Expos had on their fans. The 1994 season also seemed to be their year until the players' strike stopped play. It is at this point that we see the chaos. The team faced many problems. From financial crisis to ownership issues and mismanagement, the team faced several challenges. Poor marketing also contributed to the gradual downfall of what was once a highly respected and celebrated team. Even the lack of interest from Major League Baseball in smaller contracts had a negative impact.
The documentary, like any other, relies on interviews with former players, their mascot, and a journalist. In addition, we see all those who were somehow connected to the team, who share their thoughts and opinions on what happened.
In summary, the documentary is complex. If you don't know much about baseball and the MLB, you will find it difficult to understand what is happening. It doesn't give us the clarity we need. Furthermore, the pacing is so slow that at some point you will feel the need to skip some scenes. There is no sensationalism in the narration. And yet, it is an important story.
However, the way it is presented is more like a sad story. Yes, it's sad that a great baseball team had to suffer. Yes, it's sad that the fans were left heartbroken. We're also shown newspaper clippings from the 2004 final game. But none of that makes an impact. A balance should have been struck between the sadness this event caused in baseball history and the importance and uproar the news generated. But none of that is shown.
So what are we left with? A bland plot in which everyone seems to be busy explaining what happened. And, honestly, after so many years, if this is a series, the creators should have opted to make a documentary; it doesn't even make sense. For those unfamiliar with the subject, it will be confusing and will probably leave them feeling that nothing really happened. Much of the business aspect of the sports industry isn't well explained, and the creators of this production missed an opportunity to address it. I recommend not watching it unless you already have some knowledge of the events being narrated.
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