User reviews

I love Bill. A great actor. A legend. I love football. I admire the cause. Most of us are one cheque away from being in this tournament. So I was desperate to like this.

But the story was a little rushed and a little shallow. It knew the story it wanted to tell and just spewed it out. Very dumb and simplistic. Yes, it ticks the good feeling box. But it could have done so much more.

The herioin addict made a great first impression. Good acting. Believable character.

The cause that I have NEVER heard of. Why? My ignorance or a system failure. Why is FIFA not shoving this down my neck every Saturday!? But this film got the message to me. So I am wiser. And I get to thank this film for that.

So the film was a success. And I am grateful. Thank you 👍

The Beautiful Game is a perfect Netflix movie because of its pure formula in every way. It's not a bad thing though as it's a heartwarming film that shines a light on a wonderful creation and the people involved whilst remaining easy going without really undermining any of the more dramatic moments.

Bill Nighy comes dangerously close to phoning it without actually going there thankfully. His soft presence works with any of the more serious sequences and it's nice to see the film avoid the usual tropes of having the manager coaching them against his will, he just genuinely wants to be there.

Michael Ward has the most well developed character with understandable flaws and even if he spends most of the film with an abrasive nature, he makes it feel human. He works even better when paired with the rest of the England team, who really do feel like a supportive and caring team.

Thea Sharrock's direction favours technical competency (so many medium shots) over any grand stylistic flourishes but still imbues the film with a real warmth visually. Equally vital to ensuring the film always remains a good time is the soundtrack, which chooses obvious songs for the greatest effects.

This movie makes you think of so many things all at once. With great acting, a story based on real events and a powerful message, this movie is something for all ages to watch. It's a movie about serious topics such as homelessness, addiction, teamwork, finding yourself and taking pride from what you achieve in stead of what you might have failed at in life. But most of all it's a message about how connecting with people makes you stronger, and how being alone isn't really being strong. It's also about looking beyond social status and seeing people for who they are, the ability to come together despite background if there's kindness and being able to recognize yourself in people you might not know could be someone you really needed. I highly recommend this movie, and as I said, it's for all ages!

No pun intended - some call it soccer (actually mostly Americans do that. But the rest of the world calls it football - and if you consider how it is played, you have to admit it makes sense calling it that - more so than the other one (American Football that is).

But this is not about the differences - this is about the game itself. And while it is constrained and really plays in a ... well box, it is mostly about the characters, about the people involved. So while the title is talking about the game itself, the movie dives into the people playing it (no pun intended when I say diving - if you know football, you know what I mean).

This is a feelgood movie and I don't think it has many surprises for most who watch this. Just enjoy the ride and the pitch is ... yours.

Never knew until this movie that there is actually a world class soccer completion for Homeless Guys.

In this inspirational drama, Bill Nighy portrays a manager who is desperate to win the official Football WC for Homeless people after never ever winning a medal in his previous eleven attempts. So he assembles a group of guys who are sidelined by the society due to some or the other reason. Vinny is the main character of this bunch who seems like a professional footballer though you won't know his actual story till the end.

So can Mal (Bill Nighy) lead his bunch of outcasts representing England against the likes of South Africa, U. S. A., Italy and others? Can his group play like a team keeping aside their differences and personal ego's? You'll know the answers after watching this rare sports drama.

Overall this is a good movie that manages to deliver on the intended feel good wholesome vibe but i cant deny that it would have benefited greatly from some changes to the timing of some dialougs that makes them feel too forced at times, like Aldar's coment about him liking the sky in italy because there are no bombs in it which is a great piece of dialoug but it comes immidiatly after the reveal of his backstory in a moment that i dont think makes much sense for him to say that but had he said it in a more natural place it would have been great, like when they find vinny sleeping in a bench..

Going in this movie I did not know about the Homeless World Cup at all. Never heard from it so I was surprised when I Googled it and found out it was a real thing. It was on my watchlist because I'm a huge fan of Bill Nighy to be honest.

The chemistry of that man holds the film together with Michael Ward. Loved every minute of it. Refreshing story, a feel good story that must be inspiring many soccer players out there. Reminded me a bit of Ted Lasso. And left me teary and I'm not even a soccer fan.

Great story, touching and emotional, I laughed and cried and was on the tip of my seat during the games. Very wholesome perfectly decent film.

I feel good movie about giving a second chance. It shows development in character and what teamwork is about.

The acting is not bad, but you don't really get any scenes where they can show there depth in acting. But overall they did a great job and Bill Nighy Really helps the move.

There is not much to say about the plot, because it's basedthat based on a true story. But what I miss was more background story of each character.

I choose to give the movie at 7, and I can't see where I could be better to get a higher score. Not ever move I can get a 10 just because there are no room for improvement, and this is one of them. Because I won't say this is one of my favorite movies, but I will easily recommend it to people.

Mal (Bill Nighy) run a football team of homeless men and persuades impressive footballer Vinny (Michael Ward) to join. They are heading to Rome for the Homeless World Cup but each one of the team has personal demons that they need to manage/ overcome, particularly the somewhat sociopathic Vinny.

Whilst this feel good film features lots of troubled individuals coming to terms with their issues through the glories of football, it never really reaches the heights of feel good that it had the potential to achieve. Ward is strong though and largely at the centre of things and does pretty well, whilst Nighy, as ever, the best thing in the film. Unremarkable, but pleasant enough.

An uplifting sporting film showing how the game of football can change lives, even for the homeless, and in this case, for those who have lost their way. What makes it even more engaging is that the Homeless World Cup is an actual event, with stories taken from this international gathering and amalgamated to create this heartfelt journey set in the heavenly city of Rome.

The center of attention is a former semi-professional football player, Vinny Walker (convincing performance by Micheal Ward), who is released by the club even before his career took off. He joins a group of mismatched homeless men with assorted problems of their own, and writer, Frank Cottrell Boyce, does a stellar job in bringing their stories together, creating a magic bond, with the help of director, Thea Sharrock. The living legend, Bill Nighy, gives it an extra boost, even when the story sometimes gets a little schmaltzy, this little gem still shows the passion and rewards of humility within the most beautiful game.

I'm so glad they told this story and so glad I watched. While entertaining, it's also thought provoking. 2 for 1 deal. I've never heard of this Tourney and I want others to see this and hear the cause it represents.

We're tired of shallow movies. With this we can have entertainment and depth.

I appreciate the chance to laugh with no attempt to force emotion or make me want to cry. But just telling something that seems plucked from real life, down-to-earth but with substance that matters? I don't want to give away any of the movie but it is based on stories of real people without being the story of 1 person. The tournament is real. And I'm sure the experiences are real. The ending was not predictable and the story kept me engaged the entire time.

Former pro scout Mal Bradley (Bill Nighy) is coaching England's soccer team for the upcoming Homeless World Cup in Rome. He spots Vinny Walker (Micheal Ward) clowning the little kids at the local park. He invites Vinny to play. Vinny insists that he's not homeless. He's got a car and a job in 'logistics'.

This is a sincere underdog feel-good sports movie based on the real thing. Everybody has a different issue. Everybody gets some sort of resolution or a chance to contribute. It's all sincerely written although two hours is rather long. There is too much to cover. It is jamming in too many people. By the last two games, I am itching to fast forward. Like the tournament itself, the games are not that important. It is the story behind the games.

I watched this with my parents who have limited enjoyment of the sport, however the emotion and character storyline transcend the sport. It was compelling viewing and had my parents cheering, up on their feet and crying at times.

As a football fan, I found Vinnys character arch very believable, knowing the amount of players and people professional sports churns out, seeing Vinny get closure from Bill Nye brought a tear to my eye.

This film has given me some faith in the recent slew of netflix movies and given me reason to continue my subscription.

I have since watching read that this is somewhat rooted in the real homeless world Cup, with several ex players and coaches being involved. Personally this film has drawn much needed attention to a well worth social topic hence my review.

Love Bill Nighy, but he does make some very slow paced movies. Definitely type cast.

It's got the music, the story line, and the cheesy acting, the politically correct (cannot say woke) casting to cover all eventualities.

But don't watch it for the football. The 'choreography' is there but the filmography is fleeting glances of the ball and stupid angles. Bend it like Beckham was definitely better in this respect.

But it's still a good movie. Just not enough actual football content (and I'm not even a big footie fan).

It's also 2 hours long and the pace is too slow in several places.

Some predictable scenes in typical British humour tradition.

Another review filled.

I had not watched the trailers or done any research on this movie, and was wonderfully surprised. The story arc is not radically different than what one might expect, but the actual characters' stories are quite different.

The acting is great and the soccer (football) is fun to watch.

Nowadays, many movies that have some basis of truth to them and this is actually also loosely based on truth. There is a homeless World Cup each year.

At one point the movie seemed a little long because it seems predictable, it's two hours, but as said there are a few surprising plot twist. It certainly held my interest the whole time.

This could have been a pretty good movie. It could have been uplifting. It could have been inspiring. It could have been lots of things. I'm not exactly sure where the real blame lies, as this was evidently inspired by actual events (and possibly people ?). But in the end, the main character is so unlikeable....the story just doesn't work. Vinny is a selfish ass who lacks even a shred of humility, and is completely undeserving of all of the blessings, and second (third, fourth, fifth, etc) chances that he is given throughout this story. Bad husband. Bad father. Horrible friend. Monstrous ego. Huge chip on his shoulder. His character, although perhaps not completely "irredeemable" persay......is never actually redeemed during the course of the film, leaving the viewer actually routing AGAINST him by the end and almost in shocked that the writers grant him a pseudo "win". He basically disappoints everyone he meets (including himself) and never really makes amends.

Though it's a Netflix feature and something that looks like a mediocre and small-time movie, I was curious. I've noticed that Bill Nighy as one of the leads and a story about the homeless world cup and I was already all in.

I almost thought that maybe they will tell the story of Bebe - the homeless that made it to Fergie's united, but it was like they took his story and many other stories of such as like him and stuffed them into one movie. This is an accurate description of this piece. The plot is predictable, the end and twists and turns also and the best thing about it - football and a lot of heart.

It's the same old story of an outsider that uses his talent to get in, but doesn't let himself to actually get in. It's a beautiful story about this beautiful sport and its almost gets you excited, but not actually. Its funny, to stupid sometimes and it has a lot of heart, but it doesn't align with greater football movies.

Bill Nighy is good, as always. Valeria Golino gets a small cut in this movie and Michael Word (which I've discovered at the first time in "Empire of Light") with an un-even acting display, gets his chance to lead a small-time movie and doesn't gives us a reason to remember him (last time, when he collaborated with Olivia Colman he was much better).

A film about salvation, redemption, second chances and the power of friendships and teamwork based around the real life event that is the Homeless World Cup football tournament - starring Bill Nighy as the England team coach responsible for his team of average players - and one star player - as they travel to Rome to take part in the aforementioned. It's a charming tale the like of which we've seen a thousand times before, but should never tire of regardless - competently acted, scripted, filmed and put together, it does enough to warm the heart and make us remember in this all too often cynical world the one thing that drives us all to keep going is our hopes and dreams...