Amit Amola
With the World Cup here, everyone is ecstatic to finally see the matches that they've been waiting for. But ever wondered what to do when there aren't any matches on or when the World Cup ends? You needn't worry. These are some of the best movies focusing on football - no less enjoyable than a match!
The Goal! trilogy is a series of football films directed by Danny Cannon, Jaume Collet-Serra and Andrew Morahan. The first film, Goal!, was released in 2005, and the second film, Goal II: Living the Dream, was released in 2007. The third and final part, Goal III: Taking on the World, was released in 2009.
The Damned United is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling novel The Damned Utd, a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's ill-fated tenure as football manager of Leeds United in 1974. The film marks the fifth collaboration between screenwriter Peter Morgan and actor Michael Sheen.
The Damned United was generally well received by film critics. It currently holds a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an overall rating of "universal acclaim" on Metacritic. Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four, and praised Sheen for portraying "modern British icons so uncannily that he's all but disappeared into them". Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four stars, calling it "fresh, intelligent... [and] terrifically involving", and also praised Sheen and Meaney's performances.
Shaolin Soccer is a 2001 Hong Kong comedy film co-written, directed by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the lead role. A former Shaolin monk reunites his five brothers, years after their master's death, to apply their superhuman martial arts skills to play soccer and bring Shaolin kung fu to the masses.
In 2008 a sequel, produced by, but not starring Stephen Chow, was released entitled Shaolin Girl. Very few of the cast from the original film made an appearance.
Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of the 1950 US soccer team who, against all odds, beat England 1 - 0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Although no US team has ever won a World Cup title, this story is about the family traditions and passions which shaped the lives of the players who made up this team of underdogs.
Hermano (English: Brother) is a 2010 Venezuelan drama film produced by Enrique Aular scripted by Rohan Jones and Marcel Rasquin, directed by Marcel Rasquin. Its premiere was on June 19, 2010, at the 2010 Moscow International Film Festival: its theatrical release was in Caracas on July 2, 2010.
Two young men who have been raised as brothers look to their soccer skills as a way of getting out of their slum. While a scout is in town, an act of violence threatens to tear them apart.
Offside is a 2006 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi, about girls who try to watch a World Cup qualifying match but are forbidden by law because of their sex. Female fans are not allowed to enter football stadiums in Iran on the grounds that there will be a high risk of violence or verbal abuse against them. The film was inspired by the director's daughter, who decided to attend a game anyway. The film was shot in Iran but its screening was banned there.
United is a British television film directed by James Strong and written by Chris Chibnall. It is based on the true story of Manchester United's "Busby Babes" and the aftermath of the 1958 Munich air disaster, with the film's events taking place between August 1956 and May 1958. In particular, the film focuses on the experiences of assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, played by David Tennant, and Bobby Charlton, played by Jack O'Connell.
Largely filmed around the North East of England, the film was first broadcast on 24 April 2011 on BBC Two and BBC HD, but is being sold internationally as a theatrical picture by Content Media Corp. The series gained a 14.3% rating in its time slot and was generally well received by television critics.
Montevideo, God Bless You! is a 2010 Serbian film directed by Dragan Bjelogrlić about the events leading to the participation of the Yugoslavia national football team at the first FIFA World Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay in July 1930. The film gained considerable media attention throughout 2010 and achieved significant box office success in Serbia since its release on December 21, 2010. The entire project has been hugely successful regionally thus far. More than 520,000 people in Serbia saw the first film, which won numerous awards.
The film was awarded the 'Audience Choice Award' for Best Film in the main competition program at the 33rd Moscow International Film Festival. It was also Serbia's official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards, but did not make the final shortlist.
Bend It Like Beckham is a 2002 Anglo-German comedy-drama film starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Shaznay Lewis and Archie Panjabi, first released in the United Kingdom. The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha. Its title refers to the football player David Beckham and his skill at scoring from free kicks by "bending" the ball past a wall of defenders.
The movie is about the 18-year-old daughter of Punjabi Sikhs in London. She is infatuated with football but her parents have forbidden her to play because she is a girl. She joins a local women's team, which makes its way to the top of the league.
Life is full of challenges. Wise people choose to meet them. Foolish people choose to run from them...
