229. Tigers; movie review

 

TIGERS

Cert 15

116 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong sex, sex references, nudity, language, drug misuse

I have watched professional football for more than 50 years but all I see is the finished product - the players who have reached the pinnacle of the game after years nurture through boys' and youth leagues.

As fans, we don't experience the sacrifice, determination and, in many cases, failure of the legions of young people who are chasing the dream.

As Martin Bengtsson proved - success isn't even cut and dried for the most talented prospects.

He and many others have found out the very hard way that just having dazzling skill may not be enough.

In Ronnie Sandahl's true story, Tigers, Erik Enge plays Bengtsson as one of the most touted teenagers in European football.

Indeed, his star is so much in the ascendency that he has signed for famous Italian club Inter Milan.

He goes straight into the second team but, as soon as he arrives, jealousies emerge from fellow squad members who even take bets on how long before he cracks and leaves.

Tigers paints a bemusing picture of the sport which shows very little care for the youngsters who could be the stars of the future.

It shows how Bengtsson tries to win over his colleagues with performances on the pitch but becomes more and more isolated and so seeks distractions off it.

And being far from home and not speaking Italian mean that, without help, he has little chance of making it.

Sadly, it is a familiar story. All of the major European clubs scout foreign players and yet most never reach their first teams.

It is a very strange model and one which gains personality in Tigers.

This was a story which needed to be told and Sandahl does it very effectively with the brooding Enge giving a stand-out performance in its lead role.

Reasons to watch: A rare insight into the other side of football

Reasons to avoid: Very downbeat

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Ninety-seven per cent of the former elite academy players now aged 21 to 26 years old failed to make a single Premier League appearance, according to official statistics.

The final word. Ronnie Sandahl: " I see football as a funhouse-type mirror of our society. It reflects what is happening when it comes to capitalism or masculinity, but it's ten times worse. I am surprised there haven't been any good films about it." Cineuropa

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