United

United_360P

source: United

I'm a big Manchester United fan of 23 years old, and am from Manchester too. This may bias my opinion but I truly think this is a magnificent film! I really don't remember the last time I watched a movie as gripping and inspirational as this. From the first minute to the last, I had goosebumps, found myself short of breath (not exaggerating), and I had tears coming to my eyes at many scenes. I've watched the film quite a few times now, and I've never got bored of it. A pretty accurate portrayal of events (to my knowledge - I studied the air disaster while in secondary school), and I would recommend it to all who are looking for a good inspirational, well written/portrayed movie about the events included. *A warning to any big United fan - it can get emotional!

Simply put, I like this movie because it really, really does give one a feel for the 'old time' game... and in fact, showing actual games might have taken away from the story line. I know we get that in movies like Goal but in one of the best Soccer/Football movies ever, The Damned United, it is kept at a minimum. Besides that, a lot of people praise The Damned United but that movie in the end is based very loosely on the David Peace book, a work of fiction to begin with, the movie was a great improvement on the book. Those who enjoy reading about soccer/football in the old days like the William Hill sports book of the year; "My father and other working class heroes" or books on Sirs Tom Finney or Stanley Matthews most likely will find this movie very entertaining. And I have to say, it is a quite moving and introspective motion picture as well, a bit more of a somber movie. Perhaps a parallel to an American sports movie might be to compare it to the great "Fear strikes out" where the sport itself is a bit secondary to the plot. I'm not a Manchester United fan at all, but with this movie, I could envision other soccer/football movies that might not always be following the "Team overcomes great odds and wins" i.e. "Rocky" formula.

I'm going to say it straight from the off; this movie will play your emotional heartstrings better than Jimi Hendrix on his best day. Right from the beginning you are introduced to a post-crash scene where a young Bobby Charlton (played by Jack O'Connell) sits, injured, next to a team mate in the exposed harshness of a German winter. Just so you know what's coming ahead. The movie follows the happenings of the events leading up to and after the air crash mainly from the perspective of Bobby Charlton. It begins with training day for a promising Manchester United squad where, as usual, David Tennant dazzles in his role as Jimmy Murphy, the head coach for the team. His portrayal of Murphy gives us a realistic idea of footballing days 40-50 years ago when boots were plain and sturdy, the football was hard and reliable, and first team opportunities were hard to come by. Of course, the main man behind the selection of a team is the manager, Matt Busby, played by Dougray Scott. His portrayal of Busby has its ups and downs. You clearly get the idea that he is a respected man, a disciplinarian but fair, and someone that everyone strives to impress. However, this reviewer has his reservations about a few things; namely the accent. Yes, Sir Matt Busby was Scottish but did the accent have to be so thick? Some parts of his dialogue was hard to understand which hindered the overall effect of the film. Despite that, the camera shots really did let the viewer experience an aura about the man, like you were in the presence of greatness even while watching from a television screen. I mentioned earlier that there was an emotional aspect to this film. And there is. In buckets. Especially if you're a United fan. Charlton fights with his emotions about whether or not he wants to come back to play for the team, arguing that "it's not the team without them" when referring to the deaths of his team mates. And it's true, and the fact that I can say that speaks volumes about the acting making me feel like I experienced the deaths of my team mates. Overall, this film has its ups and downs, and if you're looking for a "Goal!" kind of movie where a player leads a team to glory - look elsewhere. This is a team sport, and this movie reflects it better than a mirror. The bond between each other, the euphoria of being in the Manchester United dressing room, being surrounded by talented players destined for glory, the emotional roller-coaster of triumph and despair, and the eventual victory all make this film not just an excellent insight into what life was like in the 1950s, but also made the viewer feel like they were part of a team, like they lost their friends, like they were united.

Manchester United is such a great team even I have heard of it. This is a good movie, even if you don't find soccer interesting. It is a movie about a different time, and that in itself means something. The team is like family to the woman who feeds them where they live. But then there is the inspiring story about Bobby trying to become a starting player and ending up as one of the team's best. There are lots of good acting performances, and David Tennant is one of the best as Coach Murphy. Dougray Scott is very good too, but he seems more mean and tough than kind and caring. Jack O'Connell impresses too as Bobby. Right before the tragic event, the music is very ominous. Everything about these scenes about halfway through points to some terrible event we already know is going to happen. And afterward, there as a different but even more inspiring story. It is hard to watch but worthwhile. The news anchor is not kind and comforting but he confronts us with the reality. Will this team make it? Well, I did say Manchester United was so great I had actually heard of it. Yes, it's really a winner.

United is a docu-drama about the infamous 1958 Munich air disaster which claimed the lives of many of the Busby Babes and how the Manchester United team marched on from that dark day and rebuilt. The focus is less on Matt Busby played by Dougray Scott in a stoic manner because he is sidelined after the crash as Busby was seriously injured and hospitalised for some time. The focus is on David Tennant as Jimmy Murphy who has to cope with the aftermath, get a side together some from the lower leagues and get them to play. There is also the issue of some of the survivors being emotionally damaged from the incident such as Bobby Charlton who feels unable to play. Then there are the injuries to Duncan Edwards widely regarded as one of the best young players of his generation who survived the crash but later died. As someone who knew little but the basics of this disaster I found the film informative and emotional. I would acknowledge the film had to condense the story which means some of the characters are sidelined or ignored but it is an affirming story of overcoming the odds that should get even non soccer fans involved.

Plain crash and soccer team left in a ruin, a tragedy that has been milked since day one from the events of 1958. But this film is not very good, beside David Tennant is acting which is brilliant so I give 5 star for that alone. the rest not so much, so if you want account on the disaster just track down the episode that was part of the air crash investigation series, and watch that instead. Beside Tennant's acting its not much to say about this film, and Tennant is the only reason why I bothered to watch this in first place. Other than that there is to say about this effort, truth to be told you don't care about the characters or the disaster as portrait in this film, with expectation of Tennants character.

Beneath a Lowry-esque factory scape of evocatively smoking chimneys,the 1956 version of Manchester United train on a pitch of the type once described by Bill Shankly as one he wouldn't keep coos on. In ungainly shorts and tracksuits,boots like cardboard boxes and kicking balls that weighed a ton once waterlogged,these young men contrived to be not only one of Britain's finest ever football teams,but it's most ill - starred. Within two years,fate had robbed Manchester of a huge proportion of its football heritage and The England team of some of its most influential players. The Munich air disaster has been well - documented,debated,blame apportioned (for many years the pilot was quite wrongly held responsible and only cleared after a long campaign by BALPA)for a very long time. If the BBC were going to do a docu - drama about it one might have thought that the 50th anniversary might have been an appropriate time,but three years on it has arrived on our screens to a reasonably small chorus of hurrahs,and those mainly directed at the Corporation's current love - object Mr D.Tennant. "United" is respectful,slow - paced,and,I almost hesitate to say,rather boring. The programme - maker's obsession with all things Northern may not extend to its top executives who,strangely, seem not too keen to actually live up there, and it does tend to give its portrayal of people and places oop North a slight rose - coloured tinge,the rough good humour,the solidarity of the poor,the comic postcard coppers etc. In "United"it is given full rein,extended even further than Manchester to Tyne and Wear to give another of the Corporation's favourite sons Mr T. Healy a small but meaty part. A bit like "Titanic" where we all know the boat is going to sink,we all know the plane is going to crash so suspense and surprise are out of the question,it's mainly a matter of characterisation that will hold our attention,and,to be fair to him,Mr Tennant,not one of my favourite performers I have to say,is very good at times as Jimmy Murphy,United's charismatic trainer,but all too often resorts to his customary bug - eyed over - enthusiasm when required to express emotion. Mr D.Scott is disturbingly like Warren Oates as Matt Busby,emitting menace when his public persona was one of genial paternalism. About 20 minutes too long,"United" may,perversely,have benefited at least from an historical point of view,with a larger cast to encompass the scale of the disaster,as key players and other important figures have been omitted. As it is,it serves to present an almost prehistoric football era of polite,respectful and law - abiding players whose annual wages en masse wouldn't pay the champagne bill for a good night out for today's top teams.

I know it's a story about how the people prevail after a horrible accident. But really, a movie about a football club with no football action? You see them training and thats about it. We see the players excited in tunnel then after they walk off they put the score up. It's like in Monty Python, "This scene missing" Then cut to, "oh that was exciting!" I thought the actors did great. Although I don't think Matt Busby was such a dark character. It's a shame since this was made, a better telling of this story won't be made for awhile.