THE BEAUTIFUL GAME (2024)

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