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If you watched the trailer for Green Street Hooligans
before its world premiere at SXSW you got the common
denominator—in this case, brutal violence. Fortunately, those who
went to the opening in spite of (or because of) the trailer saw a film
with much more depth than its short clip could ever reveal.
Elijah Wood plays Matt Buckner, an award winning
journalism student at Harvard who takes the fall for his drug-dealing
roommate and is expelled two months shy of graduating. His estranged,
journalist father is out of the country on assignment so Buckner heads
to London to visit his sister Shannon (Claire Forlani) and her English
husband Steve (Marc Warren).
When Steve convinces his brother Pete (Charlie
Hunnam) to take Matt to a West Ham football (soccer) match with his
close group of friends, Matt is quickly exposed to the world of
football clubs, or “firms”, and the violence that surrounds
them.
“West Ham’s football is mediocre, but
our firm’s topnotch and everyone knows it,” explains Pete.
“It’s really about reputation—humiliating the other
mob by beating them in a row or doing things that other firms get to
hear about.”
Within the firm Matt finds real friendship and a
sense of belonging to a cause. At first he fights to defend himself and
his mates, using resentment over his expulsion as motivation. But soon
he comes to enjoy the “high” from the battles and attains
celebrity status for his heroics in defending the firm.
For her first feature film since the Oscar nominated short Johnny Flynton
Lexi Alexander has written, directed and produced a powerful piece on
how a tradition that embodies trust, friendship, and love can prevent a
person from even considering that what they are doing is wrong.
“Standing strong next to your friend when
you’re facing thirty guys who want to punch your face in,
that’s love,” says Alexander.
She speaks from experience. As a teen growing up
in Germany she became a World Karate and Kickboxing Champion. Many of
her karate students were members of a football firm. Eventually, she
joined them—an unusual move for a girl.
“Given my Martial Arts history, the guys
didn’t really worry about me not being able to defend
myself,” says Alexander, who based Green Street Hooligans on those experiences.
Wood gives a solid performance as the unlikely
Yank who helps lead the West Ham Firm to greatness, easily shrugging
off any Hobbiton entrapments from Lord of the Rings.
Hunnam’s portrayal of Pete is extraordinary.
At first, his bravado is intimidating. But his kind nature reveals
itself as he coaches a young boys’ football team. He becomes
Matt’s friend and protector—not just from opposing teams,
but also from a resentful member of their own club. As leader, Pete is
the heart and soul of the firm. And Hunnam brings a refreshing mix of
power and vulnerability to a complex character.
Although it was not a key focus of the movie, it
would have been interesting to know how the team members themselves
felt about their violent supporters. Still, Alexander has made a film
both entertaining and enlightening—a rare treat in the Hollywood
machine of cookie cutter scripts.
EXTRAS
Sadly, there are no features availible on this release - just another downside of a good film not being appreciated enough.
Conclusion:
Movie 90% Extras: N/A
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