The Beautiful Game

The Beautiful Game is a perfect Netflix movie because of its pure formula in every way. It's not a bad thing though as it's a heartwarming film that shines a light on a wonderful creation and the people involved whilst remaining easy going without really undermining any of the more dramatic moments.

Bill Nighy comes dangerously close to phoning it without actually going there thankfully. His soft presence works with any of the more serious sequences and it's nice to see the film avoid the usual tropes of having the manager coaching them against his will, he just genuinely wants to be there.

Michael Ward has the most well developed character with understandable flaws and even if he spends most of the film with an abrasive nature, he makes it feel human. He works even better when paired with the rest of the England team, who really do feel like a supportive and caring team.

Thea Sharrock's direction favours technical competency (so many medium shots) over any grand stylistic flourishes but still imbues the film with a real warmth visually. Equally vital to ensuring the film always remains a good time is the soundtrack, which chooses obvious songs for the greatest effects.

This movie makes you think of so many things all at once. With great acting, a story based on real events and a powerful message, this movie is something for all ages to watch. It's a movie about serious topics such as homelessness, addiction, teamwork, finding yourself and taking pride from what you achieve in stead of what you might have failed at in life. But most of all it's a message about how connecting with people makes you stronger, and how being alone isn't really being strong. It's also about looking beyond social status and seeing people for who they are, the ability to come together despite background if there's kindness and being able to recognize yourself in people you might not know could be someone you really needed. I highly recommend this movie, and as I said, it's for all ages!

I love Bill. A great actor. A legend. I love football. I admire the cause. Most of us are one cheque away from being in this tournament. So I was desperate to like this.

But the story was a little rushed and a little shallow. It knew the story it wanted to tell and just spewed it out. Very dumb and simplistic. Yes, it ticks the good feeling box. But it could have done so much more.

The herioin addict made a great first impression. Good acting. Believable character.

The cause that I have NEVER heard of. Why? My ignorance or a system failure. Why is FIFA not shoving this down my neck every Saturday!? But this film got the message to me. So I am wiser. And I get to thank this film for that.

So the film was a success. And I am grateful. Thank you 👍

I watched this with my parents who have limited enjoyment of the sport, however the emotion and character storyline transcend the sport. It was compelling viewing and had my parents cheering, up on their feet and crying at times.

As a football fan, I found Vinnys character arch very believable, knowing the amount of players and people professional sports churns out, seeing Vinny get closure from Bill Nye brought a tear to my eye.

This film has given me some faith in the recent slew of netflix movies and given me reason to continue my subscription.

I have since watching read that this is somewhat rooted in the real homeless world Cup, with several ex players and coaches being involved. Personally this film has drawn much needed attention to a well worth social topic hence my review.

Going in this movie I did not know about the Homeless World Cup at all. Never heard from it so I was surprised when I Googled it and found out it was a real thing. It was on my watchlist because I'm a huge fan of Bill Nighy to be honest.

The chemistry of that man holds the film together with Michael Ward. Loved every minute of it. Refreshing story, a feel good story that must be inspiring many soccer players out there. Reminded me a bit of Ted Lasso. And left me teary and I'm not even a soccer fan.

Great story, touching and emotional, I laughed and cried and was on the tip of my seat during the games. Very wholesome perfectly decent film.