Review of The Damned United (2009) by Dean M — 18 Sep 2010

This is damned good true story of British coach football Brian Clough as well as a bravura performance from Michael Sheen and a faithful, intelligent screenplay by Peter Morgan combine with a well chosen storyline to deliver a convincing tale. This film is not about football game, it's uses football as a framework for ambition, greed, success, failure, friendship and love.

Timothy Spall gives a good performance of light and shade as "behind every great man" Peter Taylor, Brian's right-hand man, but the effect of his performance is weakened by his looking completely unlike his real-life prototype. No problems on that score with Colm Meaney as Don Revie (apart from a lack of height!), who nails Revie's distinctive accent to a "T".