Review of The Damned United (2009) by Jeff T — 28 Nov 2009

The best sports movie of the year is about a UK soccer coach in the '70's. I know next to nothing about soccer, and after seeing the movie I know next to nothing more, but I know a lot about a fascinating person and his relationships with power, fame and friends.

Michael Sheen leads the roster of what seems like every British character man except Michael Gambon. Peter Morgan contributes his best screeplay to date, finally finding a way to take his biographic approach to writing and tie it to real drama.

And the arresting and subtle direction of Tom Hopper may be the real star; taking what could be a dry longshot-closeup type of story and constantly teasing the eye with composition that tells story, he's made an incredibly entertaining film from what could have been just another .

. . um . . . soccer movie. You know... All those soccer movies...