Vile, hateful and undeniably funny.
Comment
09/23/09
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The Damned United (2009)
94
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Reviews Counted:108
Fresh:101
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
Top Critic...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
You don't have to be a soccer expert, or even know all that much about the sport, to get sucked into the competing personalities and personal dramas of The Damned United.
09/23/09
Top CriticSheen is wonderful.
10/19/09
Top CriticPerformances are fabulous; Michael Sheen almost tops his previous outings as Blair and Frost with this and Spall, Meaney and Broadbent are just so solid.
10/14/09
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
At this point, the Morgan/Sheen roadshow may have finally run its course, but together they have a knack for understanding the recent past through men who are crafty and irreducible, usually despite all appearances to the contrary.
10/08/09
While it’s true that a couple of the characters are vivid creations, it’s hard to glean what else Morgan sees in this story, which he adapted from a novel by David Peace, besides a showcase for Sheen. Mostly, that’s enough.
10/15/09
Top CriticIn addition to the textured damp British landscapes, the film convinces on the strength of impassioned performances by Sheen and Timothy Spall as his assistant manager and muse, Peter Taylor.
10/14/09
Fascinating storytelling, beautiful cinematography and the most complex and riveting lead characters imaginable.
10/09/09
Because United prefers human and industry conflict over playing field disputes, it makes the film an accessible and spellbinding showcase for tightly-suited antagonism and venomous verbal spray. This is a first-rate drama.
10/08/09
Another man-of-the-match performance from Sheen saves this from mid-table mediocrity.
03/28/09
[Michael Sheen] adds to his gallery of public figures (Tony Blair, David Frost) with a sharp performance here as the legendary UK soccer coach Brian Clough.
10/23/09
The enigma of Brian Clough has long fascinated British fans. The Dammed United offers no easy explanation, but plunges into the mysteries of the personality.
10/15/09
Top CriticA sports bad boy - well acted and photographed. I'll give it that.
09/30/09
THE DAMNED UNITED is an intriguing study in human ego, and its ability to interfere with sound management.
12/06/09
Thanks to Michael Sheen's innate charms, Brian Clough is redeemable even at his meanest and most self-destructive.
10/16/09
...Michael Sheen solidifies his status as this generation's Laurence Olivier...
09/05/09
[A] very vivid, affectionately prickly film.
10/08/09
A fairly standard and straight-forward biopic, but Sheen just has a way of personifying these public figures [and it's] another role perfectly suited for him.
09/14/09
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:
Trailer & Poster review 
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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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