Against all odds Denmark won the 1992 European championship in football. As a matter of fact stating "against all odds" could even seem to be an understatement.
Denmark didn't even qualify but got the chance to participate when Jugoslavia couldn't play because of a civil war.
Michael Laudrup, by many considered the best player, had left the team because of the coach, Richard Møller, who had a totally different vision of how to play football than him.
When the tournament started Denmark played the first match 0-0 and lost the next.
But then everything was turned around......
Such a great (national) story has been depicted in this movie. It follows the events fairly chronological and from the viewpoint of the very unpopular coach Richard Møller. The movie both tries to be entertaining but also to pay some respect to Richard Møller.
Several elements are being used to dramatize the story. We focus on one of the key players, Kim Vilfort, whose daughter is sick with cancer and how this affects the team.
Further we are shown some of the choices Richard Møller makes in a way that we understand that if he doesn't get success with these choices then he will either loose his job or risk total mockery.
When we actually watch the matches they have been inter cut between the real footage and the actors performing them. I think it was a wise choice to inter cut as the atmosphere permeating the critical situations simply cannot be reproduced in any kind of acting.
When the apparent choice has been made to let the movie, in a strict sense, follow the actual events of the European championship 1992 then there is less to comment upon. The errand, above the wish to entertain, as stated before is to let Richard Møller get some of the respect that he might never got.
So all in all the movie gets the job done and can be seen as a kind of historical sports movie that stays true to the circumstances of the European championship 1992.
Even though the original story is so great, that it could have been written by H.C. Andersen, I would still have liked if the director had chosen to focus more on some specific themes (like the conflict that existed between Richard and the players) instead of choosing the easy one - the chronological story.
Regards Simon
Ps. When you read reviews that gives max score check to see if the user has made more than one review. If not consider the possibility of a lobbyist. If you agree consider putting this post scriptum at the bottom at your own reviews.
