In his portrayal of famed British soccer team manager Brian Clough,
Michael Sheen ("The Queen") solidifies his status as this generation's
Laurence Olivier in Tom Hooper's enthralling adaptation of Peter
Morgan's 2006 book "The Damned Utd." Hooper works effortlessly with
Morgan's unconventionally formatted screenplay that flips between eras
to explore Brian Clough's dynamic personality that took him from
managing teams in Hartlepool and Derby to a doomed six-week tenure
managing the Leeds United reigning champions. The Leeds team was
previously managed by Clough's sworn rival and enemy Don Revie (Colm
Meaney). With his trusted and gifted assistant Peter Taylor
(persuasively played by Timothy Spall) by his side, Clough attempts to
transform soccer from a cheater's game to a fun sport played with
integrity by real champions. You can smell the damp air in Hooper's
stylistically authentic framing that benefits from a great ensemble
team of filmmakers that includes cinematographer Ben Smithard,
production designer Eve Stewart ("Fifty Dead Men Walking") and costume
designer Mike O'Neill. Even non-soccer fans will find themselves swept
up in the drama of one man's bold attempt to reinvent an entire sport
against a tidal wave of opposition. "The Damned United" is one damned
entertaining movie.
(Sony Pictures Classic) Rated R. 97 mins. (A+) (Five Stars)
