There is a long spoiler-filled list of goofs and factual errors on imdb but they didn't trouble Jack and me (although I did wonder about the Evel Knievel line, noted now as an anachronism). I see on wikipedia that people have criticized the author of the book on which the screenplay is based (David Peace: The Damned Utd) for inaccuracies, so we needn't blame the adapter Peter Morgan (nominated for Oscars and Screenwriters Guild Awards for the original screenplay of The Queen (2006) and adaptation of Frost/Nixon; and also winning two BAFTA, or British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards for the unforgettable The Last King of Scotland (2006), which starred Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin, and another for The Deal (2003)), nor the director Tom Hooper (BBC's EastEnders, ITV's Prime Suspect, HBO's Elizabeth I and John Adams). Michael Sheen (played Tony Blair in both The Deal and The Queen, and David Frost in Frost/Nixon) turns in a good performance as the cocky Clough and I always like Timothy Spall (some of my faves: Secrets & Lies (1996), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), and many of you know him as Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter series), who plays Clough's wingman Peter Taylor.
Colm Meany plays Clough's nemesis, Don Revie (one of my favorite characters of all time is Meany's supportive father to an unwed pregnant girl in The Snapper (1993), he was also a great dad in the cover band saga The Commitments (1991), funny in The Van (1996), and contributed his skill to the ensemble piece Intermission in 2003, among many credits) with a perfect combination of arrogance and scorn, and Jim Broadbent (Oscar for the wonderful Iris (2001); played Gilbert, as in Gilbert & Sullivan, to Spall's "Mikado" in Topsy Turvy (1999); was a foil to Brenda Blethyn and Jane Horrocks in the must-see Little Voice (1998); was Bridget Jones' dad both times; was great in The Crying Game and Enchanted April (both 1992); Vera Drake (2004), and as the title character in When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007)) lends his considerable talents as the team's owner. Stephen Graham, the player with the bleached perm, was in, among others, Public Enemies (as Baby-Face Nelson), Snatch (2000) by Guy Ritchie, and Filth & Wisdom by Madonna, Ritchie's more famous ex-wife. I knew he looked familiar. Yanks may have a wee bit of trouble with the English accents, but Jack and I got most of it and enjoyed the movie.
Forgot to say: the rotten UK weather and soggy fields were a nice touch.
Forgot to say: the rotten UK weather and soggy fields were a nice touch.
No comments:
Post a Comment