A finely constructed and fiercely entertaining soccer movie that deals more in pride and obsession than penalty kicks.
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10/23/09
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The Damned United (2009)
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Reviews Counted:109
Fresh:102
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[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
a wonderful story, excellently told and without all sorts of manufactured drama
10/23/09
The Damned United will be savored and appreciated when considered for year-end prize consideration. Don't wait till then to see it.
10/23/09
Parental Content Review
10/23/09
Like a tense World Cup match, there's a lack of scoring, but it is still riveting.
10/23/09
Imagine an in-depth movie about a sequin factory in China that assumes we are already familiar with all of the details of sequin making, and you have an idea what it's like to sit through The Damned United.
10/23/09
While there's plenty of action, much of it satisfyingly wet and muddy, the reason to watch this film is its splendid cast.
10/23/09
Even if you're not a soccer fan you should respond to...another expert mining of historical record by Peter Morgan [that's] not so much a sports movie as a character study.
10/21/09
[A]n absolutely thrilling story, one both hilarious and poignant, about a man who is downright classical in his flaws... Michael Sheen, who always has a hint something impish and elven about him, is absolutely perfect...
10/20/09
With the screenplay by Peter Morgan ("The Queen", "The Last King of Scotland", "Frost/Nixon"), films don't get much better than this.
10/20/09
Michael Sheen has built a film career playing real-life celebrities, political and otherwise. Here's hoping he keeps it up.
10/20/09
Sheen is wonderful.
10/19/09
Top CriticTheir close, symbiotic relationship is the film's linchpin and the final scene where the estranged, gruff men finally make up, almost like sweethearts, has to be seen to be believed -- yet somehow Sheen and Spall manage to pull it off.
10/16/09
Like a skill player who just can't score, The Damned United is all dazzle and no finish and, ultimately, damned frustrating.
10/16/09
Thanks to Michael Sheen's innate charms, Brian Clough is redeemable even at his meanest and most self-destructive.
10/16/09
Sheen's performance is controlled fury, barely touching ground as he presents Clough as being the very picture of a delusional fool.
10/16/09
Top CriticAs fine a sports movie as it is, The Damned United is as much a bromance as I Love You, Man. And it's touching, too.
10/15/09
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 CriticThe 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 CriticLatest 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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