Odds are good that most North Americans have no idea who the heck Brian Clough is. Ask anybody in Britain and they’ll immediately recognize this name. Clough is to British soccer what Vince Lombardi was to football. Larger than life describes this unique character who takes centre stage in The Damned United a true tour de force expose from Sony Pictures Classic locally presented by Mongrel Media at The Fifth Avenue Theatre. Arm chair quarterbacks and the curious get a chance to get up close and personal with a rivalry second to none.
All the action in The Damned United takes place from the mid 70s to the mid 80s. By now if you don’t know what united in The Damned United refers to obviously you don’t follow soccer. This 105 minute film looks at the coveted Leeds United soccer team. More importantly, it recounts the life of its manager/coach, Brian Clough.
EUROPEAN SOCCER COACH SURE TO SET WAVES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.
Director Tom Hooper (Red Dust) makes clever use of a timeline going back and forth as we see the ups and downs in the life of Brian Clough. From running a small town soccer club to helming the top job at Leeds United Clough’s rise is nothing short of miraculous. Naturally, along the way there’s plenty of time for second guessing and bruised egos as our Mr. Clough has a rather formidable personality and he is not afraid to stir the pot. And stir the pot he does.
We all love the story of an underdog and The Damned United is really the story of the rivalry between Clough and his predecessor at Leeds, Don Revie. Sparks fly often when these two meet over the years. Nothing is spared as we are treated to just an unbelievable character study of these men. On the field footage is nicely handled by Hooper but it’s really the back story that matters here. Forget about the on field heroics; the main jousting is done away from the stadium as a battle of wits develops between two egos that run wild.
BRITISH ACTOR MICHAEL SHEEN LOOKS OSCAR BOUND FOR GRITTY PORTRAYAL OF SPORTS LEGEND.
Once again Michael Sheen shines as Brian Clough. By the time you finish watching this film you’ll either be a fan or foe of Clough thanks to the uncanny portrayal by Sheen. Fresh off the amazing work he did in Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon Sheen again impresses in an Oscar caliber performance that will fully engage viewers, be they sports fans or not. It’s not an easy feat to turn non-athletic supporters into interested third parties but Sheen achieves this. Each time he’s on screen you don’t know where Clough will wind up as he weaves in and out of situations and pressure cookers that have to be seen to be believed.
Being good with the press is not enough to win over hearts. Along for the ride in this tumultuous rise to soccer heaven, British style is Timothy Spall (Enchanted) who plays a trusted ally while
Colin Meaney (Law Abiding Citizen) also rises to the occasion as the famed Leeds mastermind Don Revie.
Lots of films involving sports have been done over the years. Few have ever portrayed the rivalry behind the scenes as well as that depicted here. Easy to film, low budget and without huge marquee stars The Damned United shows just how good a “small” film can be if it’s expertly acted and has a winning story. Thanks to Michael Sheen The Damned United is an unqualified winner on all counts.
Release Date: Nov. 6, 2009
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