Finds its riveting story in the locker-room and board-room wranglings of competitive team leaders, and dissects them with documentary-style precision.
Comment
12/23/09
The Damned United (2009)
94
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:104
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.4/10
Consensus: Better than your average football pic, Damned United is carried by another star turn from Michael Sheen as Brian Clough.
Rated: R [See Full Rating]
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Oct 9, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $315,306
Synopsis: After tackling Tony Blair and David Frost, actor Michael Sheen turns to another driven historical figure: football manager Brian Clough. Talented but abrasive, Clough alienates some of those around... [More]
Starring: Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Jim Broadbent
Director: Tom Hooper
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Reviews for The Damned United
Refusing to devolve into a routine sports flick (see Invictus), The Damned United is instead more interested in the off-field clashes than the on-field skirmishes.
12/19/09
Offering just enough football to satisfy the fans in the stands, The Damned United is also a pleasingly high-quality British drama with some terrific performances.
12/15/09
That Clough is still remembered enough to have a film made about him is no surprise. But that he is remembered fondly suggests memory is a dish best served cold.
12/10/09
THE DAMNED UNITED is an intriguing study in human ego, and its ability to interfere with sound management.
12/06/09
Sheen gives a magnificent performance. His Clough is a character you can neither like nor admire. You watch this walking train wreck in amazement as he continually steps on his own feet with his overactive mouth.
12/01/09
...the real story isn't about football, but about the competing agendas of two strong-willed individuals: one apparently playing the supporting role to the other's lead...
12/01/09
egoless acting, tight editing, and intelligent dialogue
11/27/09
...nothing like a conventional sports bio-pic; it's a character study of a difficult personality, a charming, enigmatic victim of self-sabotage.
11/27/09
Two things that the British know that most Americans don't: Michael Sheen is the best actor in the English-speaking world; and soccer is the only football that matters.
11/24/09
Michael Sheen is pitch perfect again in this tale of a man and his ego
11/17/09
'The Damned United' is a soccer movie that's really about a man's struggle with his most dangerous opponent--his own ego.
11/14/09
The Damn United has a far better chance of turning American blokes onto soccer, errr, football than David Beckham's frosted tips.
11/14/09
As a film inspired by British football, this may hold limited appeal for American moviegoers. But it's also a film about a form of spurned love, which means it's a story about love and hate, which means it's a movie that everybody can relate to.
11/13/09
It’s too easy to dismiss Sheen’s work as basic mimicry; in fact, Sheen’s Clough is his most intricate work thus far.
11/12/09
The Damned United is a most entertaining study in obsession wrapped in a traditional sports movie.
11/11/09
Tou don't need to know your Arsenal from your Hull to appreciate the one fact of life that Clough learns too late: Pride comes before a fall, and the pitch provides no safe haven from the excesses of the self.
11/06/09
The Damned United beautifully demonstrates that, if you pair a truly gifted screenwriter with terrific actors, cinematic magic is possible, perhaps even likely.
11/04/09
The Damned United is a thoughtful and entertaining study on the perils of ambition that has little to do with soccer and a lot to do with being human. Well-played.
10/30/09
Top CriticSheen’s Clough is as good as his Tony Blair and his David Frost -- which is to say he is absolutely remarkable.
10/30/09
Latest News for The Damned United
October 08, 2009:
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This week at the movies brings only one wide release: Couples Retreat, starring Vince Vaughn and Kristen Bell in a comedy about a group of friends in marriage counseling in a... More...
August 11, 2009:
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March 27, 2009:
The Damned United - A Photo Primer
Today sees the release of The Damned United, which sees Michael Sheen play legendary football manager Brian Clough. Back in 1970s, before the Premiership, Sky TV and WAGS came... More...
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