"Who do you think you are?" "Brian Clough."
I. Folks, Michael Sheen has done it again. ♥
After waiting nearly all year to see this film, I finally did and it did not disappoint.
While I do consider myself a football fan (I keep up as much as I can and root for Man U), this film does take place long before I was born and I've never researched the history of football or anything. However, simply being a fan of football was enough to interest me. Add in a fabulous screenwriter and director, a wonderful trailer, and one of the most amazing lead actors around, this film was bound to be incredible. And I swear if the Academy Awards shuns Michael Sheen again, I will cry.
Michael Sheen seems very fond of playing historical figures. Before Brian Clough it was Tony Blair and David Frost. Now, one review said this was Sheen's best performance yet. I don't know if I can quite agree with that. I think was definitely one of his best and only to be rivaled in my eyes by his performance as Frost. However, his depiction of Clough was brilliant. He better get a nomination at least. It's awful how many times he's been overlooked despite how often he's proved time and time again that he's worthy of the recognition. So I'm hoping he at least gets a nomination.
Clough was, all at the same time, someone to respect one minute and disrespect the next. His arrogance was off-putting at times but his ambition was something to be admired, as was his philosophy. I loved him as a manager and, in my eyes, it was the players of Leeds who were the bad guys in this. Of course, this only opinion, but my heart definitely ached for Clough. Especially in one scene where he calls Don at two in the morning, dejected because the players still show loyalty to Don. Sheen portrayed this brilliantly. I couldn't help but grin like a complete idiot when I first saw him and the more I saw him, the wider the grin got. This man can do anything. He leaves me swooning, impressed, and more in love than ever everytime I see him in something new.
One review said this film was lacking spark in the script but I have to disagree. This film would not be for everyone but I thought it was engaging, despite its soft tone and steady pace. And I loved the jumping of timelines as well. I was completely hooked the entire time and couldn't look away. It had that underlying tone of keeping you hooked, even if it wasn't obvious. It kept you engaged like Frost/Nixon but in a less obvious manner. I really loved it. A lot.
The supporting cast was fantastic. Jim Broadbent, as infuriating as he was, was brilliant. Timothy Spall blew me away. I knew nothing about Clough or Peter going into this so to discover that bond between them was really interesting. I liked seeing Clough not as tough as he was without Peter. That was a good bit. I think my only complaint about this film was that the ending seemed to leave loose ends. I liked knowing what happened but it just felt incomplete somehow. Perhaps that's what it was going for but I'm not sure. Alas, that is something very little and I just loved this film.
ACADEMY, PLEASE RECOGNIZE THE AMAZINGNESS THAT IS MICHAEL SHEEN. ♥
Recommend this movie to other people?: In a heartbeat.
Buy the DVD: Of course!
Grade: A
Trailer: Here
♥Moon (12 June 2009)
♥Cheri (26 June 2009)
♥Adam (29 July 2009)
♥Taking Woodstock (28 August 2009)
♥New York, I Love You (16 October 2009)
♥An Education (16 October 2009)
♥The Boat That Rocked (13 November 2009)
♥Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (20 November 2009)
♥The Princess and the Frog (11 December 2009)
♥A Single Man (11 December 2009)
♥The Young Victoria (18 December 2009)
♥Avatar (18 December 2009)
♥Nine (25 December 2009)
♥Up in the Air (25 December 2009)
♥The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (25 December 2009)
♥Sherlock Holmes (25 December 2009)
♥The Last Station (15 January 2010)
♥The Lovely Bones (15 January 2010)
♥Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (12 February 2010)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (19 November 2010)
♥Tron Legacy (17 December 2010)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (15 July 2011)
♥Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (Unknown Release Date)
♥Glorious 39 (Unknown Release Date)
♥Gnomeo and Juliet (Unknown Release Date)
♥Shoe At Your Foot (Unknown Release Date)
II. I think I have a job! :D Yaaaaay. I'll be more excited and capslock-y when it's official. AND WHEN I'M NOT FREAKING THE FUCK OUT. I have so much to do tonight and I feel like there's not enough time. Idek. So I'm going to go and start that. BECAUSE SO MUCH TO DO LDKSJFKLDSJGKLJGKL.
Catch you later, calculators.
After waiting nearly all year to see this film, I finally did and it did not disappoint.
While I do consider myself a football fan (I keep up as much as I can and root for Man U), this film does take place long before I was born and I've never researched the history of football or anything. However, simply being a fan of football was enough to interest me. Add in a fabulous screenwriter and director, a wonderful trailer, and one of the most amazing lead actors around, this film was bound to be incredible. And I swear if the Academy Awards shuns Michael Sheen again, I will cry.
Michael Sheen seems very fond of playing historical figures. Before Brian Clough it was Tony Blair and David Frost. Now, one review said this was Sheen's best performance yet. I don't know if I can quite agree with that. I think was definitely one of his best and only to be rivaled in my eyes by his performance as Frost. However, his depiction of Clough was brilliant. He better get a nomination at least. It's awful how many times he's been overlooked despite how often he's proved time and time again that he's worthy of the recognition. So I'm hoping he at least gets a nomination.
Clough was, all at the same time, someone to respect one minute and disrespect the next. His arrogance was off-putting at times but his ambition was something to be admired, as was his philosophy. I loved him as a manager and, in my eyes, it was the players of Leeds who were the bad guys in this. Of course, this only opinion, but my heart definitely ached for Clough. Especially in one scene where he calls Don at two in the morning, dejected because the players still show loyalty to Don. Sheen portrayed this brilliantly. I couldn't help but grin like a complete idiot when I first saw him and the more I saw him, the wider the grin got. This man can do anything. He leaves me swooning, impressed, and more in love than ever everytime I see him in something new.
One review said this film was lacking spark in the script but I have to disagree. This film would not be for everyone but I thought it was engaging, despite its soft tone and steady pace. And I loved the jumping of timelines as well. I was completely hooked the entire time and couldn't look away. It had that underlying tone of keeping you hooked, even if it wasn't obvious. It kept you engaged like Frost/Nixon but in a less obvious manner. I really loved it. A lot.
The supporting cast was fantastic. Jim Broadbent, as infuriating as he was, was brilliant. Timothy Spall blew me away. I knew nothing about Clough or Peter going into this so to discover that bond between them was really interesting. I liked seeing Clough not as tough as he was without Peter. That was a good bit. I think my only complaint about this film was that the ending seemed to leave loose ends. I liked knowing what happened but it just felt incomplete somehow. Perhaps that's what it was going for but I'm not sure. Alas, that is something very little and I just loved this film.
ACADEMY, PLEASE RECOGNIZE THE AMAZINGNESS THAT IS MICHAEL SHEEN. ♥
Recommend this movie to other people?: In a heartbeat.
Buy the DVD: Of course!
Grade: A
Trailer: Here
♥Moon (12 June 2009)
♥Cheri (26 June 2009)
♥Adam (29 July 2009)
♥Taking Woodstock (28 August 2009)
♥New York, I Love You (16 October 2009)
♥An Education (16 October 2009)
♥The Boat That Rocked (13 November 2009)
♥Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (20 November 2009)
♥The Princess and the Frog (11 December 2009)
♥A Single Man (11 December 2009)
♥The Young Victoria (18 December 2009)
♥Avatar (18 December 2009)
♥Nine (25 December 2009)
♥Up in the Air (25 December 2009)
♥The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (25 December 2009)
♥Sherlock Holmes (25 December 2009)
♥The Last Station (15 January 2010)
♥The Lovely Bones (15 January 2010)
♥Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (12 February 2010)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (19 November 2010)
♥Tron Legacy (17 December 2010)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (15 July 2011)
♥Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (Unknown Release Date)
♥Glorious 39 (Unknown Release Date)
♥Gnomeo and Juliet (Unknown Release Date)
♥Shoe At Your Foot (Unknown Release Date)
II. I think I have a job! :D Yaaaaay. I'll be more excited and capslock-y when it's official. AND WHEN I'M NOT FREAKING THE FUCK OUT. I have so much to do tonight and I feel like there's not enough time. Idek. So I'm going to go and start that. BECAUSE SO MUCH TO DO LDKSJFKLDSJGKLJGKL.
Catch you later, calculators.