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The Damned United

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The Damned United (2009)

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Reviews Counted:107

Fresh:100

Rotten:7

Average Rating:7.4/10

Consensus: Better than your average football pic, Damned United is carried by another star turn from Michael Sheen as Brian Clough.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Oct 9, 2009 Limited

Box Office: $315,306

Synopsis: After tackling Tony Blair and David Frost, actor Michael Sheen turns to another driven historical figure: football manager Brian Clough. Talented but abrasive, Clough alienates some of those around... After tackling Tony Blair and David Frost, actor Michael Sheen turns to another driven historical figure: football manager Brian Clough. Talented but abrasive, Clough alienates some of those around him, including his rival, Don Revie. When Clough has the chance to coach Leeds, Revie’s former team, he takes on the role of the manager of the country’s best soccer team. Also starring Timothy Spall, Jim Broadbent, and Colm Meaney, this film marks the fourth time screenwriter Peter Morgan (THE QUEEN, FROST/NIXON) has crafted a character for Sheen. [More]

Starring: Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Jim Broadbent

Starring: Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Jim Broadbent

Director: Tom Hooper

Director: Tom Hooper
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Producer: Andy Harries
Composer: Rob Lane
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for The Damned United

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THE DAMNED UNITED is an intriguing study in human ego, and its ability to interfere with sound management.

Full Review Source: Cinemalogue.com | comment Comment
12/06/09
Rubin Safaya
Rubin Safaya
Cinemalogue.com

Sheen gives a magnificent performance. His Clough is a character you can neither like nor admire. You watch this walking train wreck in amazement as he continually steps on his own feet with his overactive mouth.

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment Comment
12/01/09
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

...the real story isn't about football, but about the competing agendas of two strong-willed individuals: one apparently playing the supporting role to the other's lead...

Full Review Source: Playback:stl | comment Comment
12/01/09
Sarah Boslaugh
Sarah Boslaugh
Playback:stl

egoless acting, tight editing, and intelligent dialogue

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
11/27/09
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

...nothing like a conventional sports bio-pic; it's a character study of a difficult personality, a charming, enigmatic victim of self-sabotage.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
11/27/09
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Two things that the British know that most Americans don't: Michael Sheen is the best actor in the English-speaking world; and soccer is the only football that matters.

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
11/24/09
Joe Williams
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Michael Sheen is pitch perfect again in this tale of a man and his ego

Full Review Source: jackiekcooper.com | comment Comment
11/17/09
Jackie K. Cooper
Jackie K. Cooper
jackiekcooper.com

'The Damned United' is a soccer movie that's really about a man's struggle with his most dangerous opponent--his own ego.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/14/09
Dan Lybarger
Dan Lybarger
eFilmCritic.com

The Damn United has a far better chance of turning American blokes onto soccer, errr, football than David Beckham's frosted tips.

Full Review Source: Richmond.com | comment Comment
11/14/09
Mike Ward
Mike Ward
Richmond.com

As a film inspired by British football, this may hold limited appeal for American moviegoers. But it's also a film about a form of spurned love, which means it's a story about love and hate, which means it's a movie that everybody can relate to.

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
11/13/09
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

It’s too easy to dismiss Sheen’s work as basic mimicry; in fact, Sheen’s Clough is his most intricate work thus far.

Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
11/12/09
Justin Strout
Justin Strout
Orlando Weekly

The Damned United is a most entertaining study in obsession wrapped in a traditional sports movie.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
11/11/09
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

Tou don't need to know your Arsenal from your Hull to appreciate the one fact of life that Clough learns too late: Pride comes before a fall, and the pitch provides no safe haven from the excesses of the self.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
11/06/09
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

The Damned United beautifully demonstrates that, if you pair a truly gifted screenwriter with terrific actors, cinematic magic is possible, perhaps even likely.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
11/04/09
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

The Damned United is a thoughtful and entertaining study on the perils of ambition that has little to do with soccer and a lot to do with being human. Well-played.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
10/30/09
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sheen’s Clough is as good as his Tony Blair and his David Frost -- which is to say he is absolutely remarkable.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
10/30/09
Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Oregonian

A film whose likability lies almost completely on the shoulders of Sheen's Clough.

Full Review Source: Washington City Paper | comment Comment
10/23/09
Tricia Olszewski
Tricia Olszewski
Washington City Paper

One of [its] primary pleasures...is that, in choosing a topic as narrow and parochial as the fate of an English soccer club, Morgan has relieved himself of any duty to persuade us that the events he describes are of world-historical import.

Full Review Source: New Republic | comment Comment
10/23/09
Christopher Orr
Christopher Orr
New Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A finely constructed and fiercely entertaining soccer movie that deals more in pride and obsession than penalty kicks.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
10/23/09
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Michael Sheen] adds to his gallery of public figures (Tony Blair, David Frost) with a sharp performance here as the legendary UK soccer coach Brian Clough.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
10/23/09
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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Latest News for The Damned United

October 08, 2009: Critics Consensus: Retreat From Couples Retreat
This week at the movies brings only one wide release: Couples Retreat, starring Vince Vaughn and Kristen Bell in a comedy about a group of friends in marriage counseling in a... More...

August 11, 2009: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
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March 27, 2009: The Damned United - A Photo Primer
Today sees the release of The Damned United, which sees Michael Sheen play legendary football manager Brian Clough. Back in 1970s, before the Premiership, Sky TV and WAGS came... More...

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