Review of Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) by Alison O — 21 Feb 2005

Best in Show: Ricky Tomlinson.

One for the future: Dean Lennox Kelly.

Stand-out scene: The Hand of God 2.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

TV.

I saw and loved the expletive-riddled Channel 4 documentary on the then England manager Graham 'Turnip' Taylor which was perhaps the catalyst for the development of this movie. It takes a mock documentary approach shadowing the trials and tribulations of the Mike Bassett (formerly of Norwich CIty) newly-appointed to the top coaching job for the national side. Riddled with in-jokes and football-related irony (the pick of which was the Hand of God 2), Shameless's Dean Lennox Kelly swaps his Manc accent for Geordie in a Gazza pastiche (he's such an easy target the jokes come thick and fast) and there's a role for comedian/DJ Phill Jupitus as a pessimistic reporter. Ricky Tomlinson is ideal as the embittered manager plucked from obscurity (no offence to Norwich) who makes a series of Turnip-headed decisions (I particularly liked him writing the names of the team on the back of a fag packet leading to the ageing, lower division players Benson and Hedges being recalled into the side). Ex- pro footballer Bradley Walsh gets a role as Bassett's right-hand man and there's a myriad of cameo appearances throughout the movie. The Wembley pitch was relaid for this movie, Forrest Gump-style technology deployed to expand the 600 extras that formed the crowd into a stadium full. Enjoyable.