The Beautiful Game (2024 film)

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The Beautiful Game
Release poster
Directed byThea Sharrock
Written byFrank Cottrell-Boyce
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMike Eley
Edited byFernando Stutz
Music byAdem Ilhan
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • 29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Beautiful Game is a 2024 British sports drama film directed by Thea Sharrock and written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. The film stars Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward.

The squad of English homeless footballers, including the talented but troubled striker Vinny, are led by their coach Mal, to compete in Rome at the global annual football tournament, the Homeless World Cup.[1]

It was released by Netflix on 29 March 2024.

Plot[edit]

Former youth football trainer Mal Bradley saves Vinny from an angry parent when he intercepts the ball during a youth training session. Then, he introduces him to his 'dream team'. The squad tell him they are training to compete in Rome at a global annual football tournament. Easily scoring off them, Vinny is unimpressed.

Staying for a meal afterwards, Mal reminds everyone to register before six for a bed. Vinny realises they are talking about the Homeless World Cup, insists he doesn't qualify and leaves. Mal follows him to his car, where he's been living. Seeing Vinny's too proud to admit his hardship, he leaves his number and goes.

The troubled Vinny regularly has flashbacks to his brief professional West Ham football career and also with the youth team. In the present, Vinny is turned away at the logistics company where he occasionally works. Visiting his young daughter Evie in the park, she invites him to a school special assembly, where she's set to talk about someone she admires. His ex Ellie tells him to tell Evie if he won't make it, even a lie. Vinny says he'll be in Rome.

Soon the team heads to Rome, with Vinny. As they arrive to the opening ceremony, he can see it's a truly international event. As the team is assigned rooms, Vinny is assigned to be with Nathan. When he discovers he takes methadone, he freaks out that he used to be a heroin addict. Taking off, he stays away all night, sleeping on a public bench.

In the morning, Vinny arrives to play their first match, with South Africa. As they don't turn up, England gets their first victory. They were held up at their home airport as their Zimbabwe refugee has a restrictive visa.

In the England vs. Portugal match, they do poorly until Vinny joins them, then they win easily. It's Japan's first year participating, so their young female coach is hard on them. After they lose their first match, the squad sneak off as she's reprimanding them to explore Rome.

England's Jason is smitten by the USA player Rosita, but inadvertently expresses his interest in an excessively sexual way. Having little practice interacting with women, he doesn't realise that what he said was offensive. Jason makes amends by giving Rosita a salmon. The Japan coach apologises to and reconciles with her team.

The nun South Africa coach Potasia coerces Vinny into agreeing to a match. The English crew is unhappy with him, but when Nathan tries to talk with him, he storms off. Fearing guilty, Nathan wants to retrieve him, but the rest of the squad insist he stay.

Searching for Vinny, Albar, Kevin, Jason and Cal see Rome's sights. Cal finally finds him and they bond over both having a kid, then the others come. Everyone decides Vinny was right in supporting a rematch with South Africa.

The next day, Vinny warms up to the squad, giving Cal pointers for better ball control. At the match against South Africa, Nathan can't finish it. They lose the match, but play Japan and recover the points need to pass to the quartfinals. Ecstatic, they become somber upon discovering Nathan leaving due to methadone withdrawal. Mal later explains he'll be better back in the UK, as he has support.

Jason catches up with Rosita, who forgives him, providing he not go overboard. She invites him to jog with her, and on the way explains that she's a 'Dreamer'. As she's not a permanent US resident, she hopes her team wins so she can get scouted.

England beats Mexico, so goes to the quarterfinals against Italy. Albar announces he won't play for political reasons, as he's a Kurd and the Italian captain is Turkmen Syrian. England 'borrows' an Argentinian player, but soon Vinny is sent off the field for two minutes. Albar jumps back in, and once Vinny returns to the field, he evens the score. In the penalties round, Italy wins. Albar and the Italian captain make peace.

Afterwards, the English squad begins bickering. Vinny defensively starts pointing out the reasons many of them are homeless. Albar pipes up, pointing out that he is a barber refugee, then offers to give everyone a shave. When Evie calls Vinny to say her school presentation was on him in the Homeless World Cup. Mortified by the public humiliation, Vinny takes off.

Mal has dinner with the Italian director of the Cup Gabriela. He explains he scouted Vinny while in West Ham's youth training. After Vinny got cut, he only sees himself as a loser, so Mal is hoping to help him.

The next morning, Vinny is too late for the USA match, but regardless they win. Rosita is also college scouted and named most valuable player. Vinny substitutes for South Africa thanks to Potasia, and helps them win the gold.

Mal shows Vinny he scouted him as a child. With his confidence returned, Vinny helps to motivate the next year's team.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

A previous iteration of the script was set up at Fox Searchlight Pictures, with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson attached. Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward were confirmed as the leads in August 2021. Film4 helped develop the film. Producers on the project are Blueprint Pictures' Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin with Anita Overland. Ben Knight and Diarmuid McKeown serve as executive producers alongside Ollie Madden and Daniel Battsek of Film4.[2]

The production worked closely with the Homeless World Cup Foundation on the film.[3] Frank Cottrell-Boyce met many participants in the Homeless World Cup and developed characters for the film from their stories, which was originally set to film in 2012 and for Cottrell-Boyce was an eleven year project.[4][5] Principal photography took place in Rome and London in August 2021.[6][7] The film used extras who had participated in real tournaments and are now no longer homeless which Bill Nighy described to the BBC as "a very sweet bit of symmetry."[8]

Release[edit]

The Beautiful Game was released by Netflix on 29 March 2024.[9]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Beautiful Game holds an approval rating of 91% based on 23 reviews as of 30 March 2024.[10]

Guy Lodge for Variety describes Ward's “darting, restless screen energy pleasingly complements Nighy’s signature laid-back roguishness", but felt that the script has "more subplots and topical issues than it can meaningfully develop."[11] Fionnuala Halligan for Screen Daily said that the discussion of mental health issues "distinguishes it from the rest of the field", and that the film "demonstrates that Micheal Ward is a leading man", but felt that the running time of over two hours was too long.[12]

Brazilian journalist Eric Filardi, from the website Esportelândia, found at least 17 references to real-life football in the work. References ranging from Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff and David Beckham to Alex Ferguson, Eric Cantona, Raphinha, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. The Brazilian journalist also found a real-life defeat portrayed in the film: a 5 x 2 by the English team over Portugal in 1951. In its review, the website praises the film, despite believing that the script could be better explored in a series.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ White, James (13 August 2021). "Bill Nighy & Micheal Ward Starring In The Beautiful Game". Empire.
  2. ^ Grater, Tom (3 August 2021). "Micheal Ward & Bill Nighy Starring In Soccer Pic 'The Beautiful Game' For Netflix & Blueprint". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  3. ^ "HOMELESS WORLD CUP INSPIRE NEW NETFLIX FILM". HomelessWorldCup.org. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  4. ^ Rustin, Susanna (26 October 2012). "A life in writing: Frank Cottrell Boyce". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Frank Cottrell–Boyce on wonder, forgiveness and the writer's calling". Theosthinkthank. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Thea Sharrock prepping football flick The Beautiful Game". cineuropa.org. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  7. ^ Jones, Tony (3 August 2021). "The Beautiful Game — new film focusses on the Homeless World Cup". Cultbox.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  8. ^ Rufo, Yasmin (28 March 2024). "The Beautiful Game: Bill Nighy stars in film about tackling homelessness through football". BBC News. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  9. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (16 January 2024). "Netflix Reveals Global Release Date & First Look For Homeless World Cup Movie 'The Beautiful Game' Starring Bill Nighy & Micheal Ward". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  10. ^ "The Beautiful Game". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ^ Lodge, Guy (21 March 2024). "'The Beautiful Game' Review: Bill Nighy Gives Micheal Ward a Sporting Chance in a Spirited Soccer Drama". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  12. ^ Halligan, Fionnuala. "The Beauriful Game review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Jogo Bonito (Netflix): 17 referências reais no filme que você não percebeu". www.esportelandia.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.

External links[edit]

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