Edna Moss / 25 June 2016 / Categories: Movie and TV Shows, Movie

Goal

I caught this movie by mistake whilst staying overseas in a hotel and watched it in English with subtitles. I must say a movie about football would normally be "pass" for me and although Rotton Tomatoes gives it a low rating around 44% I actually really loved it. The football premise almost gets lost in the inspirational rise of lead character Santiago Munez from LA as he navigates his way through Geordieland and fights his way for a place on the team at Newcastle United.

Gavin Harris, played by Alessandro Nivola is convincing as a senior player on the team challenged with taking Munez under his wing but still struggling with all the distractions like drugs and women available to footballers.

This film seemlessly and subtly brings together the difficulties of Los Angeles gangland, poverty and lack of opportunity for Munez, his troubled relationship with his father and his desire to make it big as a footballer.

This is an indie style Brit movie with mass appeal and I cannot remember a better watch about soccer since Bend It Like Beckham introduced us all to the delights of Kiera Knightley and Parminda Nagra