When it comes to missing the obvious potential on a ‘can’t miss’ project, Thea Sharrock gives George Clooney a run for the money with this tru-ish high-concept item.* The easy-to-sell idea is football (soccer if you must), specifically, The Homeless World Cup International in Rome, with more than a score of countries participating. Turns out, it’s a real thing. What took so long to see the uplifting movie possibilities? No one’s trying to reinvent the wheel here, a bit of slo-mo action on field, a suspense-filled climax with a penalty kick shootout. While away from the pitch, all the expected homeless factors for the men & women participants: drugs, split families, war refugees, the pro who lost his nerve), our British gang pulled together under the laconic tutelage of a former star player who teaches the troubled young men patience, mutual respect, how to care for each other and play as a team. Sure enough, even the most talented & selfish of the bunch learns that there’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team.’ Stir in a decent cast (Bill Nighy’s coach buries the whole characterful underdog lot simply shrugging his bony shoulders); add a cleverly worked out triple-twist ending; finally let everyone have their cake and eat it too. It’s Sharrock who drops the ball. And not only on the field. Quarter-sized ‘pitch’ and 15-minute matches, BTW. You’d think the tight space & time restraints would work to a director’s advantage. But there’s no continuity in the scrambled shots, and not enough explanations to ground the interactions between teammates & rivals. Fit and mentally together, they seem the most employable of indigents. The film still works, it is a can't-miss' story idea . . . but just barely.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: *Check out George Clooney’s wink-wink/nudge-nudge approach to one of his ‘can’t-miss’ projects in LEATHERHEADS/’08. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2009/07/leatherheads-2008.html
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