The Beautiful Game (2024)

Mediocre Sports Drama - The Beautiful Game review by GI

This is a well meaning sports underdog story that highlights the homeless World Cup, a tournament set up in 2001 where teams of homeless people from different countries compete in a football (soccer) contest. Indeed the story of this would probably have been better told as a documentary because here we have a standard narrative of composite characters all with 'issues' and the story unfolds with various tensions in the England team designed to highlight the plight of homeless people. At the centre we have Bill Nighy who is here somewhat miscast but gets away with it due to his unique screen charisma, but as a former football manager with his own demons now managing this team he's a fish out of water although most of the amusement in the film comes from him. The main centre of the story surrounds Vinny (Micheal Ward) who is recruited by Mal (Nighy) to join the team in Rome for the finals. Vinny can't bring himself to admit he's homeless due to the breakdown of his marriage, he's also a former footballer who didn't quite make it as a professional and carries the stigma of rejection. Of course as the film progresses there's the inevitable healing and bonding and the finding of true self but it is all very standard and quite predictable. There's some deviations into the activities of some of the other teams, in particular Japan, that are never really pursued sufficiently to make them interesting. A reasonably entertaining if unsatisfying film.

Feelgood Film about the Homeless World Cup, full of the usual issues, soapy storylines - The Beautiful Game review by PV

When creating a film about sport, a writer has to make decisions. What is the genre? Sometimes as with WIMBLEDON it's romance; sometimes as with the watchable ESCAPE TO VICTORY (1981) it's a WWII-set thriller. Here's it's REDEMPTION, 1 of 7 story themes cited by Aristotle in his POETICS (c 300 BC). Just that.

Frank Boyce the writer started on soaps, Brookside/Corrie, and it shows, as does his far light views (he once wrote for Living Marxism). One does not have to be of that political mindset, however, to support the Homeless World Cup - though perhaps the UK letting in 10-12 million immigrants in the last 30 years has been a or the major factor in our housing crisis & spirally costs of rent/property (also, over half homeless on the streets have homes - in Eastern Europe often). He also lays on the schmaltz with a trowel in his books and adaptations - watch MILLIONS if you can stand it! Beyond sentimental. Thick gloopy schmaltz.

All that said, this is a watchable if achingly pc/woke tickbox drama - you can tick off the issues on a list as you go, to enhance the viewing experience.

Some fun stuff, esp with Japan, which is underdeveloped and way too much focus on South Africa, a romantacised view of that crime-ridden nation with all its racial issues. This is common in leftwing writers, I find. I';d say romantacising a culture is as racist as demonising it actually.

This is overlong for sure, too much pondering on Vinny, too much South Africa dancing and a cheery Sister Act nun. But I won';t be too harsh. It's better than the awful AFRICA UNITED (2010). Rose-tinted spectacle cuddly views of AFrica may work for some, not me.

Some issues are dealt with well - each player has an issue, you see, stealing, gambling, drugs etc. A STREETCAT NAMED BOB mines the same seam. The writer shoehorns in some Syrian beef, which is resolved with hugs as are all issues in the world, in Frank-fantasy-land. You have to be in the right mood to watch this!

It's never explained by a young man with a Welsh accent, like his mum, are living in London of why he is playing for England - though of course Hal Robson-Kanu who scored the magic goal for Wales in the glorious 2016 Euros had played football for England under 21s before that.

But this is Vinny's film, his story as the central character dominates - perhaps too much. The actor plays him very well indeed, no idea if he is that skilled at football but it's fun to watch and not just for football fans.

I had no idea they let female teams play male teams in football either. According to wiki, there are no male v female teams as the 2001-founded homeless world cup has a women's section since 2008 . So WHY the fake news and lies by the writer? I put it to the accused, M'lord, that as football is irredeemably male (at the top pro levels and boys all play it on streets worldwide; girls tend not to), this was quite deliberate to increase the % of female characters on screens (ditto the wives, mums, nun, Italian host). I dislike such social engineering tbh - now many films/TV series INVENT female characters when remaking old shows (eg Name of the Rose), as I dislike colourblind casting parachuting black/brown characters into the 16th century in period drama. SO one star lost for that.