198. The United Way; movie review

 

 

THE UNITED WAY

Cert PG

90 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild bad language, scenes of real violence

Football is so tribalistic that it is hard for an ardent fan to immerse themselves in the culture of another club.

To me, Manchester United is just another one that is not mine.

I do not look for its results because I don't care whether it wins or loses. 

Of course, I recognise its riches, its status within the game and the tragedy of the 1958 Munich Disaster which wiped out its successful young team.

But I struggle to buy into the drama of the ensuing years in the way, this documentary's narrator, player-turned-actor Eric Cantona would want.

Cantona is seen as one of football's great characters - combining his success on the pitch with a passion that often translated into anger.

This was most infamously seen after a kung-fu style kick at a fan who abused him at Crystal Palace.

His poetic press conference which followed the incident comprised of one sentence - "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea".

Anyway, Cantona is portrayed by David Beckham and many others as the catalyst to Manchester United winning a league championship title which had eluded them for 26 years.

And he is more than happy to bathe in the description as a bit of a maverick who needed to be loved.

Mat Hodgson's documentary follows the United story from the horrors of Munich to defeating the club which represents that city in the 1999 European Cup final to complete that season's treble.

Its contemporaneous footage is interwoven with many star names from the club's past, including some who have now passed away.

There are a couple of flickers of controversy - particularly Tommy Docherty's snipe at Matt Busby, claiming he cost him his job rather than his affair with the wife of the club's physio.

And there is the inevitable reverence towards Sir Alex Ferguson and especially his delicate handling of Cantona.

The United Way does a good job of weaving together the history of the club and city of Manchester.

Unfortunately, that jars when you think how many of its fans are not from within 20 miles and how its owners wanted to sell out to a European super league.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the film.

Reasons to watch: If you are a Man United fan

Reasons to avoid: Most stories have already been told

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Eric Cantona was born in Marseille and his family home was a cave, which was rumoured to have once been a look-out post for the Germans in WW2.

The final word. Mat Hodgson: "We hooked Eric by pitching something that felt authentic to him. He understood what we were trying to do. He identifies with the city of Manchester. We were deliberate in our approach about this film being about the city, the people and their values. He is a very deep thinking character. Almost spiritual.” Four Four Two

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