Inspired by true-life stories, this warm and big-hearted movie follows new player Vinnie (Micheal Ward) as he joins the England team for the 20th four-a-side Homeless World Cup in Rome. It is anchored by a beautifully gentle Bill Nighy as the coach and another charismatic and sensitive performance by the excellent Micheal Ward, together with a tour-de-force turn by Susan Wokoma as the South African team organiser/nun, but a real strength is the ensemble playing by an engaging group of actors playing the England team. The characters and their backstories are written and treated with compassion and dignity, focussing on human beings rather than over-politicising. Mixed with actual football as we follow the team through the rounds and some gentle humour, The Beautiful Game balances simple, clear storytelling with issues in a very enjoyable way, and whilst it may veer somewhat on the side of sunny feel-good romanticism quite a lot, it is a very pleasant and endearing film to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment