The inspirational true story of the Homeless World Cup – a global soccer match for homeless folks based in 2001 – would most likely be higher instructed as a documentary. As a substitute, it’s been changed into this well-meaning (and infrequently well-acted) however sugary underdog sports activities drama the place everybody’s the underdog, from screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce and director Thea Sharrock, with composite fictional characters and storylines gleaned from interviews and analysis.
It has an eccentric, to not say surreal little bit of casting: Invoice Nighy performs the soccer supervisor together with his personal standard-issue backstory of emotional ache to go along with all of the gamers’ hidden private dramas. And he performs it with the identical elegant darkish swimsuit and diffident, quizzical mannerisms that he may use to painting a fellow of All Souls Faculty, Oxford, solely this time he’s within the dugout shouting. Nighy is all the time such a likable performer that he will get away with it, although it might make extra sense if his character truly was a fellow of All Souls Faculty who’d been pressed into service as a soccer supervisor as some type of neighborhood service for consuming an excessive amount of port and punching somebody at excessive desk.
Though vastly charming, Nighy doesn’t actually persuade right here. His character is named Mal, a retired skilled supervisor teaching homeless guys; he sees Vinny (Micheal Ward) enjoying within the park and indicators him up, sensing each his expertise and his emotional ache. Vinny is at first too proud to confess he’s cut up from his spouse and daughter and sleeping in his automotive. Quickly Vinny and the remainder of the workforce are on the Homeless World Cup in Rome, very excited. However the tensions between these guys imply a succession of flareups and cathartic confrontations, wherein our heroes disclose their issues and are available to understand what’s essential isn’t profitable in any respect prices however friendship and neighborhood. An excellent ethical, after all, however the tropes are a bit acquainted.
