Catacombe

Ridiculously underrated Dutch film on football/soccer, gambling, rigged games, and gangsters. Well done and engaging. Well made sports scenes may also be highlighted.

Who am I to disagree? No literally who am I? Or you for that matter? No pun intended as always, with this drama that is quite predictable! You have someone who plays football (or soccer if you are american/phil) with passion - really loves the sport. But with age comes ... well no one gets younger. At least we have not discovered any method yet, that would do that.

That also means, there is a window closing when it comes to money earning opportunities ... whatever that may mean to you. It also means that the young will come for your job .. circle of life and all that. But there are some other things happening that will complicate the life of our main characters ... unfortunately for him ... again I don't think too many viewers will be surprised .. so there you go ... playing out as expected (sort of)

This film has everything from a film noir: atmosphere, characters relationships, photography, everything, except gangsters and guns. Yes, this could have been a movie about drug traffic or a sport feature about boxing and rotten managers or corrupted fights organizers. But it remains a good film about football - soccer - and its untold underneath matters. Very good directing and acting, for a movie which does not speak of glory and.glitter, pretty gals and easy money, nor success or happy endings in the sunset. It's a shame that no one seems to have seen it yet.