It's hard to imagine a more honest film about football hooligans. Of course, in Russia to this level of football is very far. The guys are tougher.
Magnificent good eyes of Elijah Wood can not be conveniently combined with the atmosphere of the film. And the talent of the actor and cameraman gave us in the end just a magnificent and cruel look of the same "Yankees".
In general, the acting is so magnificent and believable that it is simply impossible to single out the best and worst actor.
Alexander Buono (the cameraman) gave us excellent scenes of skirmishes. Sometimes there was even a feeling that the fragments were filmed on phones, which gives a feeling of liveliness, action and, most importantly, a feeling that this is not a movie, but a real shoot.
We were given a veil of secrecy about how these football hooligans live. It has been shown by several generations.
And not only how people with football behave, but also how such people live in family, with friends. This is an attempt to show that people have rigid concepts about betrayal, love, the value of family, brotherhood.
The film is filled with more gray and faded tones, which keeps in suspense and in bad and good times.
Magnificent Charlie Hunnam, who in order to get used to his role, communicated with real fans, imbued with this fighting atmosphere of the fan. But, notice, this actor is generally chicly given hooligan roles.
The main thoughts that run through the whole picture are friendship, betrayal, love, family. We wanted to show that not always a football fight is just a football fight. Sometimes there is something more global behind it. Something that can justify such a beating.
However, the ending in the film is really unexpected. It's very powerful. Never, never will the viewer remain indifferent to this picture! (of course, if a person likes such a genre)
And this masterpiece about love, friendship, betrayal, family honor and football was given to us by a female director! Very original Lexi Alexander, who is also a screenwriter of the film. Dougie Brimson also worked on the script. If you look at his photo, you can assume that this man is fond of football, the topic is close to him and well known. And such moments about the beginning of global brawls, places of skirmishes, behavior in the subway, shouting, some fan elements (such as “Chelsea smile”) are thought out to the smallest detail. Even the companies that have become “fan” and in Russia – everything speaks clearly about the atmosphere of the film and that the film approached very professionally.
As a former fan, I can say that the way the fans showed it is true. In Russia it is not so tough, but in general it is. This has actually happened before.
So if you are interested in watching the life of a fan, you will not be disappointed.
I’ll tell you again about Wood’s look at the end of the movie – it’s very great. It was an amazing game.
England is a forge of subcultural movements. Basically, they are tied to the symbiosis of music and politics: fashion, rockers, skinheads, punks – all this began to develop on the Foggy Albion. However, there in the 19th century, another subculture was born – the movement of football hooliganism, or ultras. The "Hooligans" picture is about them.
Surprisingly, the film on this topic was entrusted to shoot not an avid football fan, but a gentle lady Lexi Alexander. Perhaps played a role in the recognition among critics of the drama “Johnny Flyton”, which even received an Oscar nomination. In any case, Lexi Alexander coped with her main task - to open the door to a wide audience in the world of mysterious football fans, about whom the whole world knows.
Yes, a full immersion in the life of English ultras is not worth waiting. Even the participation of Dougie Brimson, a football fan and author of several books on the subject, did not add the fullness that I would like. In fact, Alexander walked to the top, to show the main idea: they live on two worlds – the world of ordinary workers and family men, and the world of adrenaline rushing in the football stands and muzzling in the glory of their favorite team.
These broad strokes are enough, but not when the important gut of this subculture is replaced by artistic fiction and other script techniques. They are clearly cut in the ear or eye. That’s why the criticism, indignation with inconsistencies with real football hooligans and so on. I have to say, it is quite reasonable.
The theme of loyalty is paramount throughout the story. Club, family, friends, yourself, it doesn’t matter. After all, when Pete (Charlie Hunnam) tells Matt (Elijah Wood) about the wisdom of his football world, you can understand that even if the club is an outsider, it will not affect the loyalty of the members of the “firm”.
Matt remained true to himself throughout the film. At first, he did not defend himself against false accusations to please his cowardly nature, but after being turned over or re-formed by those good-natured guys at the bar, he remained true to his new destiny. There was only one example when the same hero, Leo Gregory, departed from this principle, and tragedy became inevitable.
Sometimes, in order to keep this ideological thread of “loyalty”, Lexi Alexander and the team of writers sacrificed logic in the actions of the characters, which immediately catches the eye. This is probably the main disadvantage of “Hooligans”. However, even this does not kill sympathy for them. The creators of the film diligently did so that the viewer did not have a feeling of indignation from street lawlessness, which turned into a frank romanticization of hooligans. The only groundwork for displaying the “dark side” of the movement is shown in the example of Millwall fans and their leader Tommy Hutcher (Joff Bell). And there was a personal motive, which does not understand the essence of the less romantic life of the English ultras.
Summing up, the film turned out smooth, without any overt pitfalls. It is definitely worth seeing it, but judging by it about the movement of football hooligans is not worth it. It is better to just throw everything away and watch the story of the rebirth of a young “Yankee” into a man.
7 out of 10
The film tells the story of Oxford journalism student Matt Buckner. His roommate Jeremy Van Holden dabbled in illicit substances and sometimes hid them in things in Matt. The discovered substances served as the reason for Matt’s expulsion from the university.
Matt, out of despair and desperation, decides to visit his sister Shanon, who lives in England. Upon arrival, he finally meets his sister's husband Steve Dunham. Steve has a brother Pete and it is with him that Matt will get acquainted with the English mentality.
Pete was the leader of a gang of fans of West Ham United football club, they fell into quarrels in every possible way, fought, defended their rights and did not tolerate insults in their address.
Steve was once in the place of his younger brother, he was called "Major". After the incident, he decided to leave these cases and meeting Shanon realized that nothing could be more important and more expensive than the family. But Pete's young and full of energy doesn't think about it yet. His formidable, confident, sometimes hot-tempered character, but at the same time his prudence in making decisions, make him deservedly the leader of his group.
Matt, quietly entered the rut, began to cultivate the qualities of a fighter, a winner in life. Participating in fights, he realized that moral principles, honor, conscience – all this borders on opposites. He came to understand the importance of taking responsibility for his life, the importance of independent decisions, indulging the desires of other people. People are not allowed to control and influence you. It is important to develop a sense of courage and learn to stand on your feet. And you can develop this feeling by taking on more responsibility, making decisions and taking initiative in anything.
A good acting and a kind of plot give the film a tonality, which keeps in mind until the very end. The film turned out to be good, the existing minuses do not prevent you from feeling and believing the story. Directly, I want to note the work of the operator, who managed in several moments to choose ideally suitable angles that allowed indirectly penetrate the screen.
7 out of 10
A great film with an amazingly realistic depiction of the surrounding football reality. There is no beauty in this film - everything is as it is and should be! Actors convey this at the highest level, all emotions, experiences, lifestyle and stereotypes.
Charlie Hunnam, as always, shows the level and perfectly fits into the image of the classical rebel, and Elijah Wood composes a graceful tandem with him: a rebel, a nerd and their peculiar ' symbiosis', the mutual influence of cultures.
I think that we, the Russians, this film will especially like its setting and plot, because in Russia it was also in a sense relevant and now too: rebelliousness, football and of course stone island in the form of a permanent element of all this hooligan image.
However, this film, along with the depiction of the dynamic and criminal life of the characters, shows the equally charming England of those times, its culture and all its riches.
While watching this film, I remembered classic Russian crime films, TV series, and even got warmer. . .
It is worth highlighting the talented acting of almost everyone: you look and feel like you looked into a distant, charming and bubbling childhood, without any doubt about what is happening! A well-chosen cast is just a treat for the eyes. This is not a film, but a forever recorded period of life.
9 out of 10
A really good movie. Not without flaws (for example, a very banal card is played ' traitor' and the ending is very predictable), but the beginning and most of the film are really fascinating.
Among other things, the film raises the theme of how ideas about honor, duty, friendship and strength are combined with what society prefers to condemn - with violence, aggression, hooliganism. Perhaps, to transfer this gang to some Middle Ages - and they would fit perfectly, a kind of detachment of Vikings, warriors. In the modern world, their behavior is considered (and not casually) immoral, antisocial. Even though in the film all fans are at odds exclusively with each other, the civilian population does not affect (which in life is not always so, unfortunately).
But that’s what the film showed beautifully – the unity and power of people united by something incredibly important and necessary for them. It's not about football. It's about how people get what they need, from a good dose of adrenaline to a sense of belonging and support. This is what the main character Matt talks about, this is what bribes him with the world of football fans, not fights and drunkenness.
This is very well conveyed in the film. And the ending... There's always an ending, there's a drama, and the authors did what they did for them. You didn't ruin it.
Green Street Hooligans in the United States or Green Street in the United Kingdom. The title of the film is associated with Green Street in London. The GSE football group is Green Street Elite. For GSE, the heroes Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam drink beer, sing anthems and, of course, beat their faces in the street.
A brief history of the football movement. Football hooliganism, as a subculture, originated in the middle of the XX century in the UK. The fights flowed outside the stadium and sometimes covered entire areas. From 400 to 7 thousand radical fans were sent out with the team. The press and television covered the mass fights. The subculture became famous.
In the 80s and 90s, the problem of football hooliganism spread to the continent. Liverpool performed well in the Euroleague and the fans ravaged the cities. 1985, the Champions League final. Liverpool vs Juventus. Fans of the two teams were placed next to each other. There was a fight in the stands. The Italians, fleeing the British, climbed the wall of the stadium. The structure failed and collapsed. The world has seen the deaths of 39 people. British clubs suspended for 5 years from the Euroleague. After the tragedy, the British authorities suppressed football movements. Fighting in the stadium became unfashionable. There are fewer hooligans fighting away from the match. Progressive youth avoid football and fans avoid violence. The 2005 film is about a new generation of football.
Criminal subculture Green Street - background. A way to find a new life after the collapse of the old. Discuss the different views of Britain and the United States. Critics denounced the film for empty dialogue. The dialogues illustrate the cultural stratification of the two countries. Soccer and football. One game, two titles. One language, different slang. Also in argument, humor, social organization.
An important aspect of the film is the role of the press. A reminder of the self-discrediting of the fourth power. Matt studied journalism. His father is a reporter. An open connection to the press hurts the fraternity. The football hooligan subculture does not despise journalists out of nowhere. The root of the dislike comes from the coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy. The stampede, due to problems with the organization and police errors, claimed the lives of 96 people. 766 injured. The newspaper The Sun published an article under the pretentious title The truth. Journalists blamed drunken Liverpool fans for the tragedy. According to the editorial, fans attacked policemen, firefighters, urinated on the corpses of comrades, looted. They did not allow doctors to help the victims. The "Pravda" journalists were denied documentarily, but the newspaper did not apologize. In 2012, a report by an independent commission confirmed that Liverpool fans were not involved in the tragedy. Prime Minister David Cameron apologized to the families of the victims.
The warring groups stand in solidarity in hatred and distrust of the press. For lies, subjectivity, falsification of facts and hypocrisy. It was 2005, and in 13 years, distrust of the traditional press had only grown stronger.
The message of Green Street echoes the British This Is England and the American Fight Club. Liberation, redemption through violence. Football hooligans are not marginalized. They have a good job, family. Fighting is the release of hate from everyday life. For others, the counterculture of the Western “norm of life.” To live not for a career, but for yourself. For what you like. Liberation for them is akin to religion. Performs a compensatory function after losing a career or family. As a religion, it can consume a person, make a fanatic. Forgetting things is more important than subculture. The rehabilitation period must end. Fight Club is deepening into self-destruction. Heroes "England" and "Hooligans" return to normal life. Family, self-realization, career.
There comes a time when you realize that there is nothing more important than family in life.
Green Street Hooligans is a story about freedom of association. Associations that have chosen the language of violence. People who have become a counterpoint to the Western backbone of stability. Pubs, ascetic dirty streets. A culture of misty albion. Despite the brutality and savagery of London, the picture looks “lamp”. Charlie Hunnam does a great job. In the film, Pitt proves leadership. He is a worthy successor to the Major, cold-blooded and calculating. The finale is an undisguised allusion to the destructiveness of violence.
I'm not praising the picture, I'm not going down to the SRSG. In summary, "Hooligans" - a movie with British style and a pleasant aftertaste. The credo of the film is to stand on your feet and be able to retreat in time. Do not teach others life and avoid hypocrisy. A nice message from a decent movie. Like a cameo of Russian vodka.
The film of the little-known director Alexandra Lexi “Hooligans” is dedicated to the life of the football group of the British football club “West Ham” led by the charismatic Charlie Hunnam. By the will of fate, the fans are joined by the hero Elijah Wood, a quiet person expelled from Harvard, for whom the stadium tribune becomes a second home and radically changes his life.
Perhaps the most catchy thing for me about “Hooligans” is the main message of the picture. It is not so much about banal fights between the guys in Stone Island, as about sincere Faith, Friendship and even Honor. Yes, the most high of the film is that the main characters, who are not like noble hidalgos and knights, live according to the rules of high morality, help those in trouble, hold on to each other. In fact, the group of Pete Dunnam (Charlie Hunnam) has an indirect relationship to football: the main thing is to humiliate and then fight with groups of other London and not only teams. This paradox is depicted in the film very well: boys and men, for no special reason, self-organizing themselves in small groups and backing all this with a high philosophy of brotherhood, looking for a friend on the streets and whirling for the glory of their team (well, this is secondary). I would also note a special style of storytelling: the cold colors of the London suburbs, cheerful drinking in pubs, realistic staging of fights - all this contributes to a complete immersion in the topic.
High-level acting. Of course, I’ll mention two main characters, especially Elijah’s character, Matt Buckner, because throughout the film we can follow the fundamental changes in his personality, changing attitudes towards himself and others. It’s always a pleasure to follow the character evolution. Charlie Hunnam as the head of the group Pete Dunnam is simply unmatched and without him this film is impossible to imagine.
The cherry on the cake I would call the drama of the picture. There is no template happy ending, and success comes to the hero Elijah Wood only through personal drama (the death of the hero Charlie Hunnam). Vital and brutal. At the same time, as it seemed to me (and this should certainly be attributed to the merits of the picture), the director tried to ask the question “What is the essence of such a life of a hooligan and is it necessary at all?” and gave the answer in the form of a tragic outcome.
A film about hard choices, devotion to the ideals of fraternity, certainly one of the best of its kind, with a beautiful cast and good camera work, gets from me.
8 out of 10
In fact, we have a perfect picture on the subject of football hooligans. This time, this is a really high-quality creation, based on the history of a particular firm of West Ham United football club.
Yes, many people may say that the whole story does not look natural in some places, but I will not agree with this. Every scene is logical and has a place to be. Scenes of actual fighting clashes between groups of fans in London and outside it are shown quite well, and life behind the scenes of the guys, and even better.
The only thing that bothered me was that everyone knew from the beginning that Elijah Wood’s hero was the Yankee.
Moreover, the bulk took the overseas boy quite well. However, we do not judge the plot moves of the director.
The very assimilation of this character and his transformation into another person is shown cool. You worry about him, like the other guys from Green Street Elite.
The only thing that was embarrassing was that when some companies were idiolyzed, the authors actually reduced the status of football fans of other clubs.
Since we stand for each other, we are not afraid of anything, and that is the most important thing.
Top 250
#202*
- You know the best part? It's not knowing that your friends have your back, it's knowing that you have your friends back.
I saw this picture for the first time. I won’t say that this topic is close to me, but I’ve always wondered what is going on inside such groups of football fans. Especially English, who are known throughout the world for their intemperance and aggression.
Student Matt is expelled from Harvard. In search of shelter, he visits his sister in London. There, Matt meets her husband’s brother, who is the leader of a group of football fans, and discovers the world of football from the other side.
After reading the rest of the reviews, I realized that I would not say anything new. Therefore, when assessing, I will use the pros and cons method.
Pros
- The unique atmosphere of England. The whole film is filled with its cultural component. England is felt even in small things.
- It is a realistic model of character behavior. That’s how I imagined a few “frozen” football fans.
- Pretty good story. Although the clashes of different groups and the resolution of common problems is much more interesting to observe.
- Great acting. Elijah Wood just captivates the audience from the first frame. Also worth noting is Charlie Hannam.
Cons
- There aren't many, but there are. First of all, this is a rather monotonous narrative. If not for the frequent skirmishes on the screen, then the whole dynamics of the film came to naught by the middle.
- There's too much in the story. These are mostly small things, such as dialogue or events that are unimportant for the history. But some characters can be cut too, as they only confuse and confuse the audience.
I decided to watch the movie yesterday. I like the topic of fights because I play combat sports. I watched it before in my teens, and I remember making a more positive impression than I do now. I’m just a realist – I want everything on screen to be like life. I think “Okolofootball” turned out better, despite a lower rating than this film.
In this work, there are many advantages: atmosphere, charisma of the protagonist, scenes of battles, showing the lifestyle of fans, camera work. But they all pale in the face of a striking lack of realism. I would like to highlight some points. To begin with, the affairs of a football firm are not disclosed so easily. It is unlikely that the leader of the company led an unfamiliar Chela to a match, after which there could be trouble. Another point is that heroes appear too often at critical moments. It’s so common for terrorists, but why do they do it so often? The overly emotional and illogical reactions of some bullies are surprising. For example, you can see how the leader of the company and a friend beat the student in a fit of emotions, and then after the excuses of the student, the leader beats his friend, with whom they beat the student. It doesn't look serious. This is just one episode of hysterical reactions that are not characteristic of fighters. I do not want to write badly about the performer of the role of Harvard student E. Wood, but he is not suitable for the role of a man who can fight. I will not describe his physical data, so as not to offend, but with his physical condition, it is cool to fight. The story that a blob can beat large children with the help of fortitude is effective at school age. A small person can be a fighter, but at the same time he must at least have a sports physique. As in one of the fights, 10 people destroyed a crowd of either 20 or 30 people, I also did not understand.
The simplicity of the storytelling and the attempt to show the habits and lifestyle of hooligans are worth it for the viewer to get acquainted with this film. But unfortunately, the picture is bigger for a teenage audience, in my view, because of the lack of realism. You can see the stage of formation of a person as a person after overcoming male obstacles.
6 out of 10
Since we stand for each other, we are not afraid of anything, and that is the most important thing.
Top 250
#202*
- You know the best part? It's not knowing that your friends have your back, it's knowing that you have your friends back.
I saw this picture for the first time. I won’t say that this topic is close to me, but I’ve always wondered what is going on inside such groups of football fans. Especially English, who are known throughout the world for their intemperance and aggression.
Student Matt is expelled from Harvard. In search of shelter, he visits his sister in London. There, Matt meets her husband’s brother, who is the leader of a group of football fans, and discovers the world of football from the other side.
After reading the rest of the reviews, I realized that I would not say anything new. Therefore, when assessing, I will use the pros and cons method.
Pros
- The unique atmosphere of England. The whole film is filled with its cultural component. England is felt even in small things.
- It is a realistic model of character behavior. That’s how I imagined a few “frozen” football fans.
- Pretty good story. Although the clashes of different groups and the resolution of common problems is much more interesting to observe.
- Great acting. Elijah Wood just captivates the audience from the first frame. Also worth noting is Charlie Hannam.
Cons
- There aren't many, but there are. First of all, this is a rather monotonous narrative. If not for the frequent skirmishes on the screen, then the whole dynamics of the film came to naught by the middle.
- There's too much in the story. These are mostly small things, such as dialogue or events that are unimportant for the history. But some characters can be cut too, as they only confuse and confuse the audience.
Football is considered the most popular sport and has an army of fans all over the world. Unfortunately, there are almost no outstanding films on this topic. But the problem of football hooliganism is widely represented in the cultural environment, both in literature and in world cinema. This picture is perhaps the most famous in the world for the given problem. Honestly, I was surprised to find this British film, and even directed by debutante, a young girl Lexy Alexander, in the top 250 best films of Kinopoisk and that prompted me to read this tape.
To write a detailed and thoughtful script, the English writer Dougie Brimson was invited, probably the chief specialist in the field of football hooliganism. This phenomenon and its causes became the main theme of his books. As a football hooligan in the past, he knows the fans from the inside. This helped him write a credible and realistic script. However, instead of creating a standard film about rabid fans and their internecine wars, the authors approached their work from a more serious side. As a result, we have a mixture of crime drama and about a sports film.
The picture shows the fate of several human lives. American Matt is very far from football, but acquaintance with a group of hooligans awakens a portion of thrills in him. Against the background of his relationship with his father, one of the most important themes of world culture “Parents and Children” is revealed. Pete The leader of a gang of football fans, he appears to be a rather cool personality, but further developments show that we are facing an intelligent and ambiguous person. The relationship between the two characters brings us to the main themes of the film, namely friendship, mutual help and honor. Adding dramatic notes on the one hand went to the film for the benefit, and on the other hand it is clear that the director lacks experience competently weave all the elements into a single plot tangle.
In my opinion, the main drawback of the film is its excessive dramatization and playfulness. In the final, the authors clearly overstepped the stick, which is why moralizing moralizing looks fake. There will probably be many complaints about chanting and justifying violence. It is for this reason that the management of the club “West Ham” disowned this project, although initially they presented the right to shoot at their stadium. If you’re hoping to see a movie about love for a popular sport, you’re wrong. This is a completely different concept.
Elijah Wood continued to look for an opportunity to get out of the usual image. It is difficult to call this attempt a success, in his internal transformation in the course of the film weakly believe, and therefore to empathize with his character is not very desirable. Charlie Hunnam looks more confident and appears to be a very colorful person. But overall, acting leaves much to be desired. Not a failure, but far from perfect.
Hooligans is a very interesting artistic view on the topic of football hooliganism, executed with knowledge. The most interesting thing will be fans of football and everything related to it. Others will also find something to see, but whether they feel what they see is a big question. The film made a contradictory impression on me, and therefore I cannot give the film a high rating.
6 out of 10
Journalism student Matt Buckner is expelled from Harvard for a crime he did not commit. His promising career has gone downhill, his future looks bleak, and he flees to London to see his married sister Shannon. Her husband Steve introduces Matt to his younger brother Pete. Having become friends with Pete, Matt discovers the world of football fanaticism, and also learns the secrets and intrigues of the football company. Pete Dunham and his loyal friends created the Green Street Elite, a group of ardent fans of West Ham United, one of the most violent London football firms.
As everyone knows, football is the most popular game on the planet and fans of this sport are numbered in the hundreds of millions. I am also one of those people who are passionate about football. Getting carried away! They do not suffer from a serious disease called “fanaticism”. People are ready to beat each other's faces for the thrill and so-called "football honor." I am an opponent of what destroys people’s destinies, their dreams and hopes and takes their lives.
As for the film itself, I highly recommend all football fans to watch the film “Green Street Hooligans” and not only sports fans, but also the ordinary viewer, because the tape is made very high quality. Good production, the gloomy atmosphere of the misty Albion, great acting and of course the plot that will keep you in suspense until the last minutes.
What happens in the film is nothing compared to what happens in the real life of real people.
The important thing is not that you can always cover your friend, but that your friends can always cover for you.
I’ve known this movie for a long time and never expected to see it in the Top 250. There is a lot of violence and cruelty, but I think Hooligans are really good in their kind and deserve to be on this list.
The film tells the story of a young student journalist Matt Buckner, who was unfairly expelled from Harvard. Escaped to his sister in London, he accidentally joins a group of ardent football fans. And football is not just a game for them.
As I said, I’ve known this movie for a long time. And in the middle of zero, against the background of what came out, this film seemed something incredible. Of course, before that there were attempts in the cinema to show the naked life of football fans, but this film stands head and shoulders above the rest.
The subtlety and sharpness of the plot is useless to paint, because it is better to see for yourself. I can't tell you what's really going on, but it looks pretty plausible. All these challenges, chases, fights, division of territory - well, at least it is very exciting to watch.
It is difficult to say something about acting, because the action film draws the viewer’s attention to itself, and does not give a proper look at the work of the actors. However, thanks to a fairly large number of dramatic scenes, some actors managed to excel. Special respect to Mark Warren and Charlie Hunnam.
The film is very good and deserves attention. Even if this topic is not interesting, then you will still find here something to think about.
7 out of 10
One of my best friends said, “Every man should survive at least one fight and get it right.”
Every football fan who loves football with all his heart knows or at least has an idea about the Eisel tragedy that occurred on May 29, 1985 in Brussels, Belgium, during the European Champions Cup final between Italian "Juventus" and English "Liverpool". English hooligans broke into the Italians’ fansektor and a bloody mess happened. The Italians began to climb over the wall of the stadium. Many succeeded, but the wall could not withstand the influx of fans and collapsed. As a result, 39 people died and about 600 people were injured. As a result of this tragedy, it was decided to suspend all English clubs from all UEFA tournaments for five years, Liverpool for six, until the 1990/91 season. The disaster was later described as "the darkest hour in UEFA history." After this incident, the whole sports world was talking about English hooligans, their atrocities on time and after matches, in the middle and outside the stadium. British fans have proved to the world that they must be feared for they are not mere football fans but groups. After the tragedy at Eisel, the British Football Federation dealt with the funk clubs and the era of football hooligans ended.
The film tells us not about the above tragedy, moreover, the whole plot and actions are fictional, but it recreates that cruel football time. One of London’s biggest and most brutal football firms is the Inter City Firm (ICF). Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood), an American teenager, has nothing to do with the football movement. Calls football - a socker, well, in one word Yankee who has a women's sport of baseball in his head. Ask me, what the hell does this Yankee have to do with the Westham firm? I'll tell you now, but let's start in order. After dropping out of university for a crime Matt did not commit decided to eventually visit his married sister Shannon in London, who after the death of his mother left him, leaving for England. Once in London, Matt had no idea how much he would change there or what would happen to him. Shannon's husband, Steve, introduces Matt to his younger brother Pete. Pete rushes to the football match between West Ham and Birmingham, Matt decides to go to the match with him. This is where the movie about football begins. The main character, like many people who do not know about the football world, did not realize how important football is for the British, and what they are capable of for it. Here in England, for Matt, almost everything was for the first time: the first fight, the first abrasions, the first bruises. All of this undoubtedly affected him, and over time he became a different person. He became one of the members of Pete's football firm and, just as all its members were ready to fight to the end, he learned to stand his ground.
Director Lexi Alexander was a football fan as a teenager. Undoubtedly, she managed to convey the atmosphere of football fanaticism and the culture of English football. Despite the brutality and fury of some of the film's scenes, it's worth watching!
The important thing is not that you can always cover for your friend, but that your friends can always cover for you.
The wall on the wall or the brother for the brother.
Films on football themes are not interesting to every viewer, but you should still watch a couple to have an idea of the fans and what is happening outside the football stadium.
We all know that football originated in England, and therefore this sport is probably the most popular in this country and, frankly, even watching the game of the founders of football is much more pleasant. In England, there are groups of fans who are called “firms” and it has long been so that before or after matches, fans from various clubs arrange fights between groups, thus determining which “firm” is stronger and more authoritative.
The plot of the film revolves around an American student, Matt, who was expelled from Harvard for a crime he did not commit, after which he arrives in England. It is worth saying at once that the football matches themselves here fade into the background, and the main action takes place between fans of the English club West Ham United and fans of other clubs. By coincidence, Matt meets his sister and then gets to a football game, after which he first gets into a fight with fans of another football club.
I would like to mention the actors! Elijah Wood — Matt, his character is a student who was expelled by mistake and went to England. To be honest, at the beginning of watching the film, doubts crept in about him, whether he would be able to play one of the fans who constantly fight, despite the fact that he has kind eyes and externally he gives the impression of not being a fight. It is necessary to give, Elijah coped perfectly with his role, there was a shine in the eyes and full return in every action with his participation and most importantly - interest, he conveyed this very bright and striking emotion and I will remember his words at the end of the film that violence is intoxicating! Charlie Hunnam - Pete, his character is the leader of the West Ham United football club group after the departure of her former leader, his brother. I must say at once that he showed a leader, a man who can lead a crowd, very confident, desperate - he went to the last in order to glorify his "firm" and he liked it, he lived it! Charlie played great, just excellent and we can safely say that this is one of the most striking of his roles in the movie and will be remembered for many years!
Lexy Alexander worked hard for fame, the film looks in one breath, despite the mass of scenes with violence it captures, we must pay tribute. The atmosphere of football life is perfectly conveyed - a stadium, a bar, subway stations, streets and fights themselves - all this gives the film not only atmosphere, but also incredible charm! I would like to highlight a great soundtrack, which just dilutes this film!
In conclusion, I would like to say that this film can teach a lot, and show both the negative aspects of football and the positive ones. The main lesson to be learned is that you should always be able to stop. This film is definitely one of the best sports dramas with great acting in the lead roles, which make you empathize with them throughout the film, which looks in one breath, and this is an indicator of the quality of the film!
I have devoted more than one year of my life to football, I played, I am a fan + I also go to matches at the stadium and I would like to separately note the fans - these are the people who will support their favorite club at all costs! And also do not forget that football itself is a show that is made just for the fans, who often give everything for the sake of their favorite club, devoting part of their lives to it, as, for example, in this film!
10 out of 10
“Since we stand for each other for a friend, we have nothing to fear, and this is the most important thing.” — Pete, leader of West Ham
Surprisingly, the best movie about football fans was made by a woman. Although Lexi Alexander claims that she was a fan of the club from her hometown of Mannheim, Germany, but in any case, the fact of female football fanaticism causes skepticism among men. In the sequel to Lexi Alexander, it can be said that “Hooligans” became her first independent film as a director and she deservedly received positive, if not admiring, reviews about the work done. The basis for the creation of the script about the hooligan firm of the West Ham team was the memories and essays of Dougie Brimson - one of the most famous football hooligans in the 80s and 90s, who, by the way, was and is an ardent adherent of another English club Watford.
The film begins with the fact that a journalist student is expelled from the university, being framed by a roommate. Knowing the character of his father, Matt Buckner packs up and leaves for London to live with his sister. There he meets her husband and his younger brother Pete, who turns out to be the leader of the most ardent fan group of the West Ham team. The brother leads Matt to the stadium, simultaneously telling the nuances of the fan movement. After the match, Matt falls into the hands of the opposing firm, but Pete and his associates come to the rescue. The furious husband of his sister, learning that Matt got into trouble through Pete's fault, drives them away. After that, the previously calm and meek Matt becomes one of the members of the fan group and earns credibility in fights. But there is still a lot of testing ahead.
“Hooligans” are distinguished by the fact that the theme of fan movement and hooliganism on the one hand is very detailed and convex, but on the other hand it goes hand in hand with drama. The close interweaving of two parallel storylines is a subtle and clear symbiosis, so the picture has a penetrating effect, where you can feel both the drama and the world in which football fans live. Once again, it should be said that such a verified content of the picture was succeeded by a woman! Apparently, Lexi Alexander, when working on the dramatic circumstances in the plot of the film, put herself in the place of those who love men, and they joined football hooligans. And the depiction of the current itself was so realistically shown thanks to the same Dougie Brimson, because he knows what he was talking about, as well as thanks to another famous fan and consultant of the film Cass Pennant, about whom there is a separate picture.
As for acting, only the most biased viewer will be able to identify flaws. When I first watched The Hooligans, I was surprised that Matt was played by Elijah Wood, an actor with a baby appearance. But I take my hat off to him anyway, because he has done a great job of transforming his character, which is highlighted in the final scene when Matt walks down the night street and sings the West Ham anthem. Special praise is due to Charlie Hunnam, who played Pete. Even after the movie Nicholas Nickleby, I said that this actor has a great future (although it is not quite noticeable yet, but we are waiting). In "Hooligans" Charlie Hunnam in no way inferior to Wood, and in some places even outplayed him, so the film has two main male roles. Mark Warren, who played Matt's sister's husband, will surprise. Maybe not by acting, but by revealing the character for sure. “Meet Joe Black” star Clayr Forlani won’t have many scenes, but the drama is enough.
The drama “Hooligans” is worth watching not only those who consider themselves a football fan, but also another viewer. The picture will clearly demonstrate what fans live for, albeit for many this topic is far away, but people watch the same, say, “Godfather”, although it does not apply to criminality. The tape is very realistically staged, it has a particularly emphasized dramatic plot, which is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. So if you haven’t watched The Hooligans just because of its football fanaticism theme, believe me, you should see them anyway!
10 out of 10
Russian-speaking viewers may consider this film worthy of entering the list of “250 best films of all time”.
105,800 votes with an average score of 8,062. Football fans either completely lack critical perception, or they confused that they are judging not their favorite game, but the film.
It’s all the more strange to realize that the film is not about love of football. The only scene that can be interpreted with a certain stretch as a confession of love for football is the scene in which Matt and Pete play with the children. And by the fact of its existence, this film is a confession of love for fights of football hooligans.
Nevertheless, the fights of football hooligans in the film are almost devoid of any dramatic meaning. It's just a given plot - bullies fight because they fight. Only the final fight is the result of plot twists and turns directly.
In the presence of a serious director, this situation could be corrected, but this rather weak plot decided to put a girl for whom this film was a full-length debut. And all the mistakes in the production of the film are typical for debuts.
The main one is to whip up emotions in the characters, regardless of the circumstances. This technique is constantly used when shooting daytime television series for housewives. But from the "big" movie you expect a clear dramatic justification for any action, no matter how stupid or wild they may be.
In addition, the camera work, editing and other technical issues in the film are not solved at the height. At least they are clearly not at the level of the film from the list of “250 best films of all time”.
But what can be done, 105,800 votes with an average score of 8,062 is a democracy of bad taste in action.
4 out of 10
Football is a real men's game. And the stadium is always full of passions and true football fans are always ready to fight with other fans of the football club. But sometimes the line between simple play and the lust for violence can blur. That’s what you’ll see in the movie “Hooligans.” I'm not a football fan myself, because I just don't understand what's interesting about 22 guys running on the football field and chasing a ball. But, nevertheless, I saw high ratings and, on the advice of a friend, I decided to watch it.
So, the plot of the film tells us about Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood). He went to Harvard to be a journalist and was doing better. But suddenly, he is expelled for a crime he did not commit. His roommate became addicted to drugs, and when there was a background check on campus, drugs were found in Buckner's belongings. As a result, the main character goes to his sister in old England. There he meets the brother of his sister's fiancé Pete (Charlie Hunnam). Pete becomes a guide for Buckner to the world of football fans. He also later talks to Buckner about his football firm.
What is surprising about this film is the abundance of violent fights and violence. It was hard to believe that the painting was made by a woman. I can't imagine how Lexie Alexander was able to make such a crime drama. But it should be noted that she turned out very well. Of course, the main theme of the film will be football fights, and friendship. Yes, it is friendship that will stand at the helm in the plot direction of the film. As you can see, in America, Matt Buckner does not have much business with friends. In fact, his roommate was able to frame him. The hero goes to England for a new life. And suddenly, he finds a friendship with an ardent football fan Pete. It is difficult to understand how such seemingly different people could make friends. But then it becomes clear. Buckner is undergoing some kind of baptism. After a football match, he goes home, but on the way he is caught by football fans of another sports club. They wanted to beat him up, and they almost did, when Pete and his friends show up and save Buckner. It was there that Buckner was able to first feel the taste of the first blood shed before his eyes, and gradually he begins to get involved in this matter.
It is worth noting the great game of Charlie Hunnam. He's got a great English fan. In some ways it even resembles Russian Gopniks, who constantly rub near the entrances. His gait, hairstyle, clothes and manner of speech clearly emphasize his character and the environment in which he grew up. Hunnam’s character turned out to be really interesting and entertaining. At first it seems that Pete has nothing to do with his family, he is only interested in football. But as we delve into history more and more, we realize the opposite. For his family, he is ready to do anything that we can see repeatedly. Also worth noting is the well-known Middle Earth hobbit Elijah Wood. His character enters an early unknown environment. On Wednesday, football fans who have only one goal in life. As much as possible to kick other football fans ass. For Wood’s character, all this life and football firms that fight for respect become a lifeline. On the one hand, this is good material for the article, on the other hand, the hero himself does not mind participating in this street lawlessness, which he does. Thanks to these events, the hero grows stronger in spirit and body, and he is ready to fight back against the ignorance that humiliated and set him up.
In the end, I want to say that the film “Hooligans” is an incredible bloody spectacle, where football fans under the chic compositions sniff each other’s faces. The film has its own special atmosphere, which plunges the viewer into the abyss of events. What's amazing about the film is that there's almost no football, it's all in the background of the narrative. In the foreground are English companies that are fighting for reputation. Believe me, under the leadership of the Iron Lady. Lexi Alexander film can still compete with other films of the same genre.
9 out of 10
It just so happens that since I was a child, I only watch British football and I don’t recognize anyone else, it’s not just a beautiful and tough game, but also an atmosphere that reigns both on and off the pitch. At the age of 13, I learned that there was a film dedicated to the fans of my favorite club and I felt it was my duty to watch it. At that moment I really liked him and I almost became a fan of this film, but now, at a more conscious age, I realized that I was wrong.
Many who are close to this genre, draw parallels with 'Factory of football', held them and I. 'Hooligans' in many ways inferior 'Factory'. Lexie Alexander was not able to fully convey the very atmosphere of football England, which was fully shown by director Nick Love, with the help of humor, good British actors (I want to note Danny Dyer), etc. Plus, there are many incomprehensible and unrealistic moments, such as, for example, the departure to Manchester The description also says: ' one of the most brutal London football firms.' But the cruelty itself from Pitt Dunham and his firm I did not find. At the same time, in this very #39 elite Green street & #39; take the American Yankees, who never fought and had no idea about football, which is also very strange.
But no matter how much I look for negative moments, flaws and inaccuracies, my hand will not go up to make this review negative, because at the time this film had a great influence on me. Is this the best film in its genre? No, I don't think so. Is it worth watching? Definitely.
Today, on the day of the Champions League match between CSKA Moscow and the team for which I have been supporting since 1998 - Manchester United, at the Khimki Arena, I once again reviewed the film that I consider the best (the best for me are several, but they do not overlap with each other, so I can safely call each of them the best) - this is the cult "Hooligans of Green Street". It's the best football movie, although it's not about football. Football is just the background. But ask yourself, why in such a variety of background variations, the director chose football? Because football is passion, it's fire, it's life. Football is a world that unites peoples and creates friendships that can rightfully be called the most faithful in this rotten world. I wrote something not in Russian, but who understands, he will appreciate.
Matt is a nerd, studying at Harvard. And in order to learn there, you have to be either a botanist or a daddy major. Here is one of these narcotics substitutes our glorious hero, and he is expelled from a prestigious university, and he, in turn, like a true botanist, swallows the whole situation and goes to his sister in London. There is a strange situation, the major paid Matt a round sum after the fact that he “saved his ass”. Out of pride, he threw money into the urn, but realizing that he did not have enough for an air ticket, he took the money back, but only as much as he lacked. The action, in my opinion, is very stupid, either to take or not. In general, he arrives in London - the capital of the British Empire, the birthplace of football, where he meets his sister's husband and his younger brother - a true fan of West Ham United football club. It becomes clear that this was a fateful meeting, and all the previous events had to happen for Matt to understand that all his education, the Harvard-Schmarwards - all this is worth absolutely nothing. All this is just to comfort your pride. In the beginning, he said, “I knew I would not be able to study at other universities.” That is, he considered himself superior to other commoners, but when he became friends with one of them, he began to slowly open his eyes. I’ve already said that I think it’s the best film, so it doesn’t make sense to call it the best of Frodo’s career. But here Charlie Hannam is inimitably realistic, as if this is not a feature film, but a chronicle with his participation. I watched a lot of movies with Charlie after that, and I’ll be honest – I’m not excited about him as an actor, and in “Blackbird” so generally Eric Bana humiliates him with his performance, but in “Hooligans” – it was not a game, it was himself, as he is. In general, the casting is chic, it immediately becomes clear that the British played here easily and with pleasure, because they did not invent anything, because this is their culture. And so in every country. For example, in our country, films are also great when they do not imitate someone, but simply show what is ours – bandits, cops and drunken rural men. This is the best movie in the world.
Once caught among a crowd of fans in a pub before a match, Matt finds family and friends and begins to understand the true values, not immediately, of course, gradually, how else. But it's all obvious. I want to focus on this: you don’t have to spend 3 years with a person to become a friend. The director showed it perfectly. There's no time to go by, it's all stupid. I'd like to know who invented this nonsense and put the whole white world on it to find it and kick it off properly for mocking the white light. It's the same with girls. You don't have to talk to them for 33 years to decide whether to marry her or not. If a man is yours, then you will understand it immediately, if he did not immediately hook, he will not hook in a hundred years. And all this laundry and so on is nonsense, invented by people who wanted free intimate relationships without obligations. So Matt and Pete immediately became friends. It didn’t take them a hundred years to understand that. Here, understand, man does not decide anything. Pete is a character designed to change Matt’s worldview from above, to make him a man. After all, born with male sexual characteristics should be first of all a man, and only then, intelligent, educated, intelligent, etc. The Harvard botanist didn't know that, and if he did, he would have knocked all the crap out of the dude that set him up in the beginning. And when he realized, through friendship, this simple truth, everything else – worldly, mortal and false – immediately lost its relevance in his eyes. He had enough sports to go out into the city, his weapons in the form of two of his fists were always with him, in general, he realized that this was his life. No matter what people say, they cannot and will not learn from the mistakes of others. You can only know yourself by walking your own path. And everyone’s path is unique, and mistakes are also unique, and these are not mistakes at all, but turns in life, forks, more precisely.
Even though I say "director, director," I still know that this film was made by a woman. I was surprised and told her bravo. She gave us an incredibly atmospheric, lifelike, realistic film, which can rightly be recognized as based on real events, although there is no word about it here. Special thanks for the amazing soundtrack. What I love about British films is that they are as damn original as Britain itself. Their culture, cities, mentality, nature, music... They are as isolated from the world as their island. A small island that once conquered the whole world.
P.S. I remembered the name of the actor who played Frodo, Elijah Wood.
“Hooligans” is a great drama dedicated to football fans. It not only tells an interesting story about people who almost devoted their lives to “illness” for their favorite team, but also shows the senseless cruelty of this phenomenon. After all, fans of opposing clubs are ready to literally kill each other just for the fact that some of them, for example, are rooting for West Ham, and others for Birmingham. Unfortunately, such aggression is characteristic of all fans, regardless of nationality.
In addition, the film tells the story of the boy Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood), who spent some time among the cruel fans, was able to escape from their company and eventually became stronger and more confident. So the film shows that not everything is so clear and simple.
In my opinion, “Hooligans” is the best movie about football fans at the moment. Dynamic, interesting and tense, and at the same time – deep and thought-provoking.
With nothing to do, I decided to practice my English at work. Simply put, watch movies that are poorly translated into Russian or have not been translated into it at all. The first, of course, remembered about the cult football drama Lexi Alexander. This film has been translated at least three times: a noticeably softened voiceover by Tycoon-Studio, a mediocre one by CP Digital, and an uncensored amateur translation. Perhaps this is my subjective opinion, but I did not like any of them, although I saw all three at different times.
The original film, of course, turned out to be even better than I remembered from previous views. English more accurately betrays the beautiful atmosphere of hooligan England. Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam played their roles almost perfectly, although I never liked the first one, and I learned the second one because of this film. In general, this is the case when you can safely say: if you have not seen the film, then be sure to pay attention to it, you will not regret it.
At a minimum, this is the most high-quality and artistically interesting film about football violence. Of course, Dougie Brimson is not the limit of realism, and people may have certain complaints about this point, but for a simple viewer who wants to see some curiosity among ordinary militants, it will be the best. It shows real football, the background shows the simple life of English guys, and fights, etc. filmed if not very realistic, then quite charismatic and interesting. The main advantage for which I fell in love with the picture a few years ago is an incredibly strong dramatic ending. I’ll give you the maximum score.
Sometimes it’s good to watch something like this movie. It is not necessary to look for meaning in such pictures, but it is quite interesting to observe the ideology of various subcultures. This movie is about one of them. More specifically about football fans and their philosophy of life.
The story tells about a young man who accidentally falls into the company of English football fans who profess an extremely aggressive lifestyle. In the beginning, everything goes well, but fate quickly turns the guy face to the other side of this life.
I didn’t expect a movie like this to be predictable. From the very beginning, it was clear that people who disperse aggression from scratch can have deadly enemies eager for revenge. It was also clear that someone would be seriously hurt or even die, because people driven only by rage had no future. Nothing more to say.
Unusual movie. With its philosophical implications.
You know how the Scots say: “We’ll walk at night, we’ll fight in the morning”? Their neighbors from the United Kingdom, despite centuries of nurtured restraint, to solve a similar issue approach much more radical - noble sirs to arrange a grandiose makhach at any time of the day is often easier steamed turnips. Aggression, thrown into the fertile soil of sports preferences, is able to bear fruit, tangible so much that the nose broken in fights can, without bending, smell roses through the fence, bruises and abrasions sit on the skin stronger than teeth in the mouth, and the sowing of the irrational but eternal “Who is not with us is against us” zealously embodied on the screen from the first seconds after the opening credits. Who are these crowds of peasants walking on each other wall to wall with flowery mat and improvised means in the form of sticks and roses? Football fans or fanatics? “Adrenaline drug addicts,” as author John King called it? Old-aged fools, who at one time did not play "war"? And how will the solution of these questions help to answer another, much more important - what exactly causes the conscious and irresistible human desire to participate in sports riots?
American boy Matt Buckner with a face like the face of a frightened fox, finds himself in the boiling cauldron of British football with an easy filing of fate-villain. Five minutes before the defense of the diploma, becoming superfluous in a cozy, and, as it turned out, populated by toothy brethren called Harvard, Matt finds nothing better than to go to patch the wounds caused by life in London, under the wing of his sister, living in a happy international marriage with her English husband. The hopes for a quiet life in the misty-albion capital are destined to collapse, it is worth Matt to meet Pete, the brother of the notorious sister husband. This subject will vividly explain to the simpleton-Backner that football is everything, America is nothing more than a former British colony, and the magazines (which is Matt’s always busy dad and who Matt would soon become himself) are mediocre writers, falling for cheap sensations. Pete himself is inordinately brazen and loud, which more than pays off with charisma, similar to the auras of Tyler Dardenne and fanatic Danny Balint from the film of the same name, encrypts the speech on Cockney and is very proud of his position as the leader of the West Ham United fan group. Rather unwittingly than deliberately pulling the little Russian-Yankee into a passing fight, Pete opens up a new life full of kicks and dentures from opponents, friendly pats on the shoulder from fellow soldiers, and adrenaline tides, completely drowning out the itchy instinct of self-preservation.
The rapid moral and psychological rebirth of Matt takes place under the slogan “Just think about who you hate”, which allows him to fully smell the smell of blood and enthusiastically distribute on the mustache to all who turned up. Pete, in his characteristic Spartan manner, broadcasts that West Ham are a so-so team, but its grouping is a completely different matter, emphasizing with all its appearance that in such showdowns football is, in fact, secondary, and the pedestal of honor is given the opportunity to take out the accumulated primitive anger. The reasons for such anger can be as many as you like: a girl abandoned, crashed a car, received a scolding from the chief, kicked out of a prestigious university because of drugs carefully hidden in your things by a bastard roommate, got up from the wrong foot - everything and can not remember. What is important is not the cause, but the effect: the mass Lupilovo, organized on the principle of “standing shoulder to shoulder with ideal comrades”, despite the painful process of its adoption, eliminates annoying gnawing thoughts much more reliable than many hours and humiliating gatherings at psychologists. For the sake of such improvised therapy, Matt is ready to plunge again and again into the world of destructive-creative muzzle with the accompanying physical and moral dirt, injuries, betrayal, unillusionary chances sooner or later to leave the battlefield not with a shield, but on a shield. The guiding star shines for him a long-awaited sense of need and dedication to the common cause, for which Matt is ready to grasp like a looming smile of a Cheshire cat in the air, ready to renounce who he was before, in maximalist arrogance forgetting that the skin of a fervent football fan for many may not be in size.
Director Lexi Alexander in the past was herself an aggressive fan of West Ham, which serves as a good antidote to the widespread virus to shoot a film superficially, with a departure to the media plane. For Lexi, it was important to show people who are obsessed with so-called football, and who mutilate each other for nothing, to put on shirts the next day, go to their homes and try on the guise of good citizens again. If we consider “Hooligans” in the focus of another cult film on a similar topic, then the director’s nod towards the unshakable postulate “the first rule of the club is not to tell anyone about the club”, with the original British grace transforming into “what happens in football remains in football”. Despite the common idea of the Hooligans, one cannot be blamed in any way for the blind calculation of the Fight Club - whatever you say, and the old woman-England has always been distinguished by originality and reinforced concrete foundations. The radical difference between one project and another is that if the state mistresses tear each other up fundamentally for no reason, then for British gentlemen the search for an apple of discord is a fundamental factor for pulling out the enemy’s tailbone, otherwise it is no longer Comilfo. The principle, which is the basis of all football wars without exception, and sounds like “while the body works the mind rests” is good in action, but, as a result, Matt, who finally increases not only strategy, but also tactics, is finally agnostically convinced. Having gone through a meandering path from the initial smear and flounder, with a brief stalemate of the apogee testosterone bacchanalia, becoming eventually the one who, walking down a dark deserted alley and singing the anthem “hammers”, feels behind his back the support of invisible like-minded people, Matt is a reasonable apologist of the principle embedded in the most masculine soundtrack to “Hooligans”: “I do I like what I do/Stand I like your ground, until you just let them stand up from your ground,” he hopes that you will not get anywhere. Gentlemen do not cry, and certainly do not look for easy ways. Gentlemen prefer blondes and yes, sometimes hand-to-hand.
"I do what I like/and I like what I do/Stand on your own, just stand on your own" (Acarine "Stand ya Ground" - OST "Hooligans")
Overwhelming and therefore tensing, but spiritualized guys go in formation through the streets of London singing. Are they anticipating the beloved and only game of the beloved and only team? No, of course not. Well, if they remember, they actually go to the stadium for what happens on the field. They have their own composition (grouping), their own game (makhach), and all this, of course, is not for nothing, but is based on the foundation of obligatory philosophy, boyish brotherhood and beer, perhaps. True, before the first crack.
Lexi Alexander's "Hooligans" are curious about the bipolarity of the display. Conventionally, the film is divided into two parts: the first can easily be characterized by no one hurts, everyone is fun, the second - exactly the opposite - is not fun for anyone and hurts everyone. The enthusiastic director savors the peculiarities of authentic English fanaticism, presenting it as an integral part of football - the part that makes you dodge how the founders of Game No. 1 are all civil in their anti-civility, fervent in cruelty and fervent in stupidity. The grains of ultras and cockneys grind down a nice good boy Matt, on the very first day imbued with the romance of massacres and stupid rhymes of words. And now the choice to beat or not to beat is decided in favor of the first. As part of the group “OIE” PFC “West Ham United” he will feel enough of the same crazy, but fighting for other club colors kamikaze. As the final chord of the story will tell – it is definitely worth having eggs, this school of life is good, but you can decide everything in a smart way, it is not necessary to decorate the opponent’s end. On the other hand, if you really want to quit the business of a decent degree of art, there is a madman who will be against it. Hooligans, drug addicts, outright gangsters - all of the same kind - perniciousness and meaninglessness suck the nature part by part, and spit out the already chewed. If it seems that the defects are invisible or try to forget about them, there is someone who will remember everything. And the traits of a noble gentleman, which is endowed with the leader of "MEBA" Pete, turn out to be just a nice bonus, shades of unusual normality, knocking out of the general palette of this crazy world of furious football cattle.
Dramatically and dramatically, "Hooligans" are very strong. Being familiar with the fan movement of the German club "Waldhof", Alexander with full dedication takes up work, inscribing his name in the cahort of not unsuccessful directors who have drilled into the essence of subcultural swirls of society, including, for example, Alex Cox, Tony Kay, and then Kurt Sutter will pull up to them. Football is a business, a disease, and a big incentive. Millions of boys have a dream in their hearts and thoughts to go to some Camp Nou and ship treas for a mile. Others have less star-oriented plans, they just want to get bored and not at all time-consuming manipulations to join something uniquely cool and neatly great. Some achieve, others finish, and the movie is made about all. Because everyone is needed because everyone is important.
I’m not a football fan, so I didn’t really want to watch the movie. But still trusting the high ratings and good reviews, I decided to watch this creation.
The first thing that surprised me after watching was the director of the film. To be more precise, this is a woman. I never thought a woman could make a movie about football fans like that. I mean that behind the scenes you absolutely do not feel the female hand, even more, on the contrary, a strong male one. If, for example, I watched a melodrama, there was still one to guess, and there was even no doubt.
The second thing that caught my eye is how the director managed to make a simple story about football fans and their fights, a real holistic, colorful picture. She managed to create organic, live characters, to come up with an interesting story, which is beyond the fights themselves, is built on more. The fights themselves, with skillful staging and shooting, turned out to be quite realistic. The very atmosphere of these fights is filled with some kind of liveliness. At least you don't feel like you're being cheated. You are watching really good, real fights of football fans.
The selection of actors turned out great. And from the main, ending with secondary. Even where there were doubts, (why is it a fan-fighter?), they fell away when the fights themselves began. Elijah Wood in the image of an ordinary batan-glasses looks very convincing. Seeing him and taking on the role at the expense of his baby-friendly face. But he nevertheless managed to show a worthy transformation into a real bully. Charlie Hunnam just the opposite showed a real scumbag fan. He's a real man. For whom words, actions and actions mean a lot. It has a very fair and appropriate image.
In general, "Hooligans" turned out to be a real male film, imbued with cruelty, true friendship, principles, deeds and the answer for words.
8 out of 10
The story covers the life of a Harvard student, Matt, a future journalist, but all his dreams collapse, by coincidence, Matt is excluded.
His father, as before, wanders the globe, and can not answer the phone of his son. He, in turn, decided to go to London, to his married sister. There, Matt meets his sister’s husband and his brother. This is where the movie begins. Pete introduces, as yet unknown to anyone, the Yankees, his company, which is actually not just ardent fans of West Ham, but also a so-called firm. They exist all over the country, their reputation does not depend on the results of the team, they create it themselves, arranging fights with the company of the enemy. Since Matt becomes a part of the group, his life, and himself, begins to change. It opens new doors for him and he finally feels more alive than ever. The culmination of the picture is directly related to the past of the company. The two most disliked gangs in England have previously met to find out who is who. The leader of the rival company, Tommy, leads his son to a fight, he dies. For many years, Tommy is extremely angry at the gas station, and wants revenge. In the course of events, it turns out that the teams of the firms will play again, the Huls are looking forward to a rematch.
Charlie Hunnam played his way, and pretty good. As far as Elijah Wood is concerned, I was delighted by this kid, in this role, I didn't expect to see him so alive. The film itself only superficially concerns football, but it does not become less interesting. Dramatic is what this film takes. In general, a strong and exciting film.
Football is not only 22 players on the field, not only victories and defeats, not only goals, coaches, referees, broadcasts. These are people who are rooting for football with all their heart, football is primarily fans. Separately, among the fans, you can single out fans, that's what the film is about.
The film is tough, daring, full of profanity, fights, blood, but it is simply impossible to show the life of real English football fans. Every team has its own grouping, sometimes good clubs have bad groupings or teams don’t have very cool groupings. The film is about the grouping of West Ham United. In fact, the members of this group are quite good people who have their own principles. Yes, they make fights, get drunk in bars, but at the same time give up places in transport, value family, friendship, everyone has their own story, life outside of fan life.
The main character - Matt expelled from the last year of Harvard for possession of drugs, which put him his roommate, the son of wealthy parents. As a result, Matt comes to his sister in England and there immediately from the greenhouse conditions gets into the cruel reality of fan life. The brother of Matt's sister's husband Pete is the leader of the West Ham group. Moreover, Pete is an absolutely positive character, works as a teacher at school, never crosses the line in his fanaticism, always remembers his family and friends, appreciates his brother. The West Ham group has eternal rivals - the grouping of another club, with which they have not played for 10 years, and the last time their meeting ended in tragedy, the opponents are hungry for revenge, which comes in the finale of the film.
Speaking about the cast, it is impossible not to highlight Charlie Hunnam, who played probably his most vivid role so far. The image was strong and worthy of respect. Interestingly, it was Charlie who was supposed to play Christian Gray in 50 Shades of Grey, but due to inconsistencies in the filming schedule, he had to refuse. I am sure that the image would be interesting. Claire Forlani brings femininity and care to the film. Her character personifies something for which you can give up even football fanaticism - family. For me, Claire is strongly associated with the film "Meet Joe Black", but in the film "Hooligans" she also looks quite confident. Elijah Wood was not surprised, you can see his fate is such - to play modest weak people who are destined for a big role.
It is noteworthy that the director of the film is a woman. It is interesting to look at how a woman imagines the world of football, it turned out to be a worthwhile movie. Thank you Lexy Alexander for this.
A story about football, a story about fans, a story about people.
One of the most amazing films I have seen... Part 9
If a movie you watched back in high school makes you delight after a good decade, then it is really worthwhile and time-tested. In other words, the film is not outdated, the script is just as attractive, and the characters and actors who played them still cause great sympathy. Well, the picture "Hooligans" Lexi Alexander just falls into this category.
The glory of the English fans has always been there. They were known, feared, respected, and admired. I don't know about it now, because there's more talk in the news about Eastern European bullies. But, damn it, you want to romanticize it is the English hooligans with their drunkenness, disassembly and shouting!
There is no violence in the film, but there is toughness. There are no pink snots, but there are male tears. There is no course for a young fighter, but there is a bright change in character. Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam created a beautiful screen duo. There is a year difference between them, but in the film, the British Pete seemed older than the American Matt. Why? Pete had a clear goal - to revive the former glory of the group. It may seem stupid and inconsistent with generally accepted ideals, but the guy with passion in his eyes and with strength in his fists trampled his way. Remember what he said when he heard about Matt's incident at Harvard? He would have done something wrong with that guy that made our American friend fly out of a prestigious school in disgrace. What about Matt? He only resigned and gave up his goals. In general, the British seem more alive and sincere. Sometimes it seems that the British people are much stronger than the army of the state than in the USA, where the army can pacify everyone. So in the faces of Pete with Matt we see the personification of two powers.
The film surprises me in the best way. Surprisingly well tailored dramaturgy that makes you worry about the heroes. Surprisingly well-represented characters, from which you can not take your eyes off. Surprisingly, none of these guys are hooligans, since it is more important for them to deal with the opposing groups than to deliberately destroy everything around. They're fans. Real fans of what they do. I’m not asking you to become a scuffler and a football fan, but you can learn something from these guys. As Matt drew for himself, in the last scene changed beyond recognition.
Oh, how good is Charlie Hunnam's Hooligans! I'm serious. We need to see his game. Mad charisma, mad charm and endless courage make you fall in love with his hero and follow him to any dangerous land. Naturally, you can catch serious problems with him, but, as Matt Buckner said, the main thing is not that you can cover these guys, but that these guys will definitely cover yours. This is the whole thing: he will become a mountain for his own and will stand so to the end. It's nice and Elijah Wood. Yeah, he's the hobbit of Shira and all that. But in "Hooligans" he played a really interesting and lively hero who was destined to change for the better. American and specifically in London.
The picture passes before my eyes in one breath. No fatigue, no regrets. Under a very, very tasty musical range, you do not feel bored and carefully follow the vicissitudes. I think Lexi Alexander's "Hooligans" have stood the test of time and rightly fallen in love with numerous (or no) fans. Including me. I am very happy to add this work to my list of favorite films in the history of my life. So be it!