Brotherly
(true) love is something that American cinema seems embarrassed to
discuss. "Superbad" is probably the best example of the concept, and of
course it is buried by sophomoric humor. The true love concept is not
even hinted at until the brief third act.
With
the rise of the fascist tea party movement (This review's draft was
written in 2010.), the ignorant masses' homophobia may make the coy
approach a wise one. Imagine the freak out if this concept was
juxtaposed with our football. How much did Gale "really" love Brian?
Fortunately,
the Yankee assumption that Brits are poofs gives them the freedom to
slide tackle this innocent concept. Shaun and Ed from "Shaun of the
Dead", Billy Mack and Joe from "Love Actually", etc. The only problem
with these lovers (not in a gay way) is that the comedy or subplots
makes their morale secondary. This makes "The Damn United" a breath of
fresh air. Not so much funny in terms of jokes, but a brilliant
investigation of a theatrical British sport hero and the man who made
him whole.
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Ulven Reviews
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When
England failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, the Football
Association determined that the best candidate for the team's manager
was Don Revie. Revie had turned around Leeds United from a second
division team to the champions of all domestic titles. His acceptance of
the international team position left Leeds without a manager, and
instead of selecting from their squad, the ownership board elected to
fill the vacancy with the brash and charismatic Brian Clough, the best
young manager in Division One (now the English Premier League).
Clough
was also Revie's biggest rival. Disgusted with Leeds's style of play,
he and his assistant the brilliant scout Paul Taylor were able to pull
Derby County out of the second division to the Division One
Championship. Unfortunately, Clough's obsession in destroying Revie's
culture lead Derby to dismiss him and his staff.
He
decides to take on the Leeds job, alienating Taylor. It is Clough who
must take on the world, but could he do it alone, or was his bond with
Taylor the source of his greatness? If that was the case, was he willing
to acknowledge it?
Michael
Sheen as Clough and Timothy Spall as Taylor give performances that
should lobby for an ensemble Oscar to be developed. "The Damn United"
has a marvelous cast and a script that makes viewers wish it was more
palatable to American taste.
Sheen
is finally allowed to shine as an incredibly likable character (My
experience at the time with him were eccentric supporting characters
with some anti-hero elements.) that serves as the focus of the film.
This allows you to truly appreciate his acting prowess. His near perfect
performance allows the perfect facilitation of the internal dilemmas
and emotional growth that Clough goes through.
Perhaps
my praise for Sheen maybe a bit much. Peter Morgan knows how to pen a
script that should result in the lead obtaining an Academy Award, except
when it comes to Sheen. Sport movies rarely score rewards for lead
actors, but this could have been his Oscar winning/nominated
combination. We did not hold "Twilight" against Anna Kendrick.
Morgan's
script is more than just a great set of characters. His method of
storytelling virtually directs itself. He successfully transitions
between the past and present, which shows his understanding about how
the past affects the current. This probably explains why all his
projects seem to be fact based, but this is the first of his feature I
have seen, so my assumption maybe off.
"The
Damn United" is an excellent character study about how we need someone
to depend on no matter how great you are. Michael Sheen is outstanding
and Peter Morgan's screenplay is a fine example of how to tell a story.
If it was any American sport, this would be a universal classic. It was
just the wrong pitch for Sheen's acting to take.
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