Year: 2014

Producer Julian Cautherly and Director Victor Buhler began working on their Africa10 film project in advance of WC 2010. Their lofty goal was to show how a passion for soccer encourages development and change in Africa. But for those in poverty, soccer is more like a winning lottery ticket out of the country to a better…

The culture of Argentine ‘Fútbol Violencia, S.A.’ (2009)

Nov 10, 2014

—

by

in Cultural, Documentary

Sometimes I don’t learn much from watching a soccer movie, but it confuses me enough that I research the subject to understand what the movie was really about. Fútbol Violencia S.A. (Football Violence, Inc.) is such a movie.

‘Downtown Dawgs’ (2010) – a homeless team honestly portrayed

Nov 10, 2014

—

by

Brothers Kevin and Mike Scullion originally intended to create a fictional movie about homeless men joining a soccer team. Instead, they ended up documenting the Downtown Dawgs’ journey from a Calgary drop-in shelter to the 2010 Homeless World Cup in South Africa.

The reviews deserve to be harsh for ‘Fondi ’91’ (2013)

Oct 14, 2014

—

by

in Drama

Fondi ’91 follows a team of 16 year old Jersey boys who travel to the small town of Fondi, Italy in 1991 to play in a soccer tournament. Some of the boys are very randy and keen to hook up with Italian fillies or stallions.

The sexism of ‘Gregory’s Girl’ (1981) can’t be tolerated today

Sep 16, 2014

—

by

in Comedy

Gregory’s Girl is an iconic coming-of-age movie from 1981. Using a cast of teenagers from the Glasgow Youth Theatre, Writer-Director Bill Forsyth follows Gregory as he schemes to win the heart of the ground-breaking girl who has joined his high school football team.

‘This is Not a Ball’ (2014) shows the process of artist Vik Muniz

Jul 19, 2014

—

by

The documentary This is Not a Ball was made in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup, but it is not really a soccer movie and instead captures the creative process of the Brazilian artist Vik Muniz.

Traveling the world to play pickup ‘Pelada’ (2010)

—

by

in Cultural, Documentary

This documentary follows a pair of collegiate players who, unable to make a pro soccer team, channel their competitive-soccer addiction by traveling the world looking for Pelada — not a drug, but a Brazilian word for pick-up game.

Soccer fans bind together in ‘La Gran Final’ (2006)

—

by

in Comedy, Cultural, Drama

Soccer cannot unite the world. But for a few hours, the motivation to watch a game allows people to set aside their differences. La Gran Final is a triptych of disappearing cultures joining with the modern forces that swallow them, to watch, with ebullient shared enthusiasm, the 2000 World Cup Final of Germany versus Brazil.

‘Bend It Like Beckham’ (2002) tops soccer movie box office

—

by

in Cultural, Romance

Bend It Like Beckham proves that when a story is close to the heart, it can make an outstanding soccer movie and family film. At $78M, BILB is probably the top-grossing soccer movie of all time (made for ~$7M).

‘Looking for Eric’ (2009) and finding a wise Cantona

—

by

in Comedy, Drama

Don’t be put off by the opening scene of Looking for Eric, where Eric the postman tries to kill himself by driving on the wrong side of a roundabout. Stay for the ride, because this movie is a comedy-drama with an outrageous feel-good ending.

I liked ‘Green Street Hooligans’ (2005) even if Brits did not

—

by

in Drama

After suffering the mindless violence of The Football Factory, I was reluctant to watch Green Street Hooligans. But what a surprise– Hooligans completely sucks you in.

‘The Two Escobars’ (2010) explains narco-fútbol

—

by

in Cultural, Documentary

For its 30th anniversary, ESPN commissioned 30 respected filmmakers to produce 30 documentaries on the impact of sports on society. 30 for 30: The Two Escobars is the fascinating story of player Andrés Escobar and druglord Pablo Escobar.

The rise and fall of Brian Clough in ‘The Damned United’ (2009)

—

by

in Drama

When watching The Damned United, besides Sheen’s performance, I wondered why is this soccer movie so good? Well, it turns out that this BBC film has quite a pedigree behind it: Director Peter Hooper made The King’s Speech. And screenwriter Peter Morgan wrote The Queen, The Last King of Scotland, and Frost/Nixon. Hooper, Morgan, and…

Amanda Bynes sparkles in ‘She’s the Man’ (2006)

—

by

in Kids

She’s the Man is a clever adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, a story of mistaken identity and cross-dressing, played on a high school soccer field. Amanda Bynes sparkles as Viola, a girl masquerading as her brother Sebastian in order to play on the boys team (under coach Vinnie Jones).

The 99ers and their ‘Dare to Dream’ (2005)

—

by

The HBO documentary Dare to Dream: The Story of the US Womens Soccer Team faithfully captures the build up and heartbreak that is US Soccer’s Womens National Team (USWNT). If you are a fan, you need to watch this film. If you watched it when it first came out in 2005 (like I did), you…

‘Goal! The Dream Begins’ (2005) soccer movie with a decent budget

—

by

in Drama

First conceived in 2000, the trilogy Goal! was dropped and then restarted production after WC 2002. This first Goal movie was made by 3 Brits in Hollywood who love soccer, and therefore, they try to portray the game realistically and honestly.

Ideal soccer date movie: ‘Romeo and Juliet get Married’ (2005)

—

by

in Comedy, Romance

A few years after making Bossa Nova, Bruno Barreto directed this Brazilian comedy, O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta, which is another, even better, soccer date movie.

Mystical and omnipotent ‘Shaolin Soccer’ (2001)

—

by

in Comedy

After watching a slew of soccer movies, I reopened my Shaolin Soccer DVD. I liked it 10 years ago, but now I recognize how inventive the movie is. A group of penniless former Shaolin monks rekindle their love of kung fu by applying it to soccer.

Guy Oliver covers ‘History of Soccer’ (2001) up to the year 2000

—

by