The Damned United Tagged Articles at Cinematical

If soccer movies were as exciting as sportscaster Andrés Cantor makes scoring in real-life soccer matches sound ("GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!'), we wouldn't be asking this question. But even die-hard fans of both cinema and soccer must ask, Why have there been no great movies about the most popular sport in the world?

You might easily dismiss my thinking since I'm an American and I live in a city where (American) football is considered a religion, so why not listen to more informed opinions? Simon Clifford, team owner and manager, trained players for soccer film The Damned United, which opens in the UK tomorrow. He told Glenn Moore of The Independent UK: "If the football doesn't look right the whole film can fall flat."

Director Alan Parker (Midnight Express, Fame, Angela's Ashes) observed: "It's an impossibly difficult sport to replicate because football is seen primarily in wide-shot. The excitement unfolds seeing at least four players in one shot. This is very difficult to cheat. The illusion of film is about editing and close-ups." Parker notes that boxing, baseball, and American football lend themselves much more easily to film adaptations. "Most importantly, the skills cannot be replicated by actors as they can in boxing or baseball."

Is this all hogwash to cover up for the Brits' inability to make a great soccer movie? Bend It Like Beckham was pretty good, but not really great, was it? Is that the best we can hope for? Do you think John Huston's Victory, with Sylvester Stallone as a goalkeeper (pictured) and Pelé, is a hidden gem? Are we missing some awesome foreign-language flicks that capture the spirit of the sport? How come there are no great soccer movies?

I'm not a huge fan of football (or soccer, as it's known to those in the US), and I know almost nothing about the history of the sport. But man, I'm dying to see The Damned United after the watching the trailer above (courtesy of Empire).

I was a bit intrigued by the cast back in April of 2008 -- Michael Sheen as Brian Clough, plus Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, and Colm Meany were sure to make an interesting feature, but I've got a feeling that this project will appeal to more than just Leeds fans and those who admire the skill of character actors.

There's real-life Ali, catchy retro tunes, and the best use of color that I've seen in a long time -- every single scene, from carefully shot pensive moments to muddy football action, looks just beautiful. However, the appeal extends well beyond art. The trailer does a heck of a job also showcasing the sport, humor, drama, and all the bits that make for a good film.. It also doesn't hurt that Sheen is just about the best thing to happen to the world of film in a long time.

Unfortunately, there's no international release date yet, but lucky Brits can see it starting March 27.

And more actors get gigs, according to Variety:

First up, there's a little Russian/American indie thriller called Magic Man which is cooking up. It's about a magician who might possibly be a serial killer, and it stars Alexander Nevsky, Billy Zane, Richard Tyson, Estelle Raskin, Jed Allan, and Andrew Divoff. And now, there are two more. Both the increasingly prolific Bai Ling (who has 8 other films on the way) and infamous tough guy Robert Davi (Die Hard) have signed on for roles in the indie, which I presume has a whole ton of sliced and disappearing volunteers. Is this another Wizard of Gore?

Meanwhile, more players have been added to the Brian Clough biopic called The Damned United. The talented off-the-radar actor Michael Sheen signed on in April, and now we've got three more Brits attached to the feature -- Stephen Graham (This is England), Martin Compston (Red Road), and Peter McDonald (Festival). Clough is being played by Sheen, while Graham takes on his nemesis, Leeds United captain Billy Bremner, McDonald takes on player Johnny Giles, and Compston takes on player John O'Hare. Meanwhile, there's a slew of other actors added to the cast as well, including Liz Carling as Clough's wife. We should see all the eccentric story on the big screen some time in 2009.

For those of you who are hard-core soccer fans, this new feature should come as a treat. Variety reports that Sony Pictures Entertainment has picked up the rights to a new biopic on English soccer coach Brian Clough called The Damned United. John Adams director Tom Hooper is helming the feature, from a script by Peter Morgan. You might recognize Morgan's name from films like, oh, The Last King of Scotland, The Queen, The Other Boleyn Girl, and Frost/Nixon.

But there's also a great cast attached to the flick. We've got Michael Sheen, who was excellent in his portrayal of Art Honeyman in Music Within, playing Clough, while Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, and Colm Meaney take on other parts that haven't been divulged. The film is based on the novel from Dave Peace, and will be set in 1974, but flash back to the '60s to tell the story of "Clough's ill-fated 44-day reign as coach of Leeds United, then one of England's most successful soccer teams." From what I can discern, he came in, criticized how the team played, alienated some of the team's star players, led his team to a one and six record, and then got sacked.

I'm far from a big soccer fan, so I have no idea how these things whip up into an interesting feature, but I would be surprised if this wasn't a solid film, considering the talent involved. But what about you fans out there? Is this a story meant for the big screen?