Essentially a love letter to England’s grand soccer tradition and one of the most exciting periods in the sport’s past century, “The Damned United” is a minor film, but nonetheless a solid one of its genre. Unassuming and minimalist in scope, it follows promising young manager Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) during his six week stint with then-world class soccer team Leeds United. And although its celebration of the sport and England’s dominance at the time will attract many to the film, “The Damned United” works much better as a character study.
Its central theme — the distortion of ones character as a repercussion of fame — may be familiar to this genre, but Sheen’s performance and the film’s consistently witty and humorous script help to generate enthusiasm and translate the excitement the characters feel to the audience. Directed by British TV-filmmaker Tom Hooper, “The Damned United” charges forward with the same intensity and heart of a great soccer match, and while the film can become derivative and predictable at times, it’s nonetheless an enjoyable, unpretentious celebration of the sport and its fandom. Profound? Hell, no. Good, inspiring fun? Absolutely. [B] — Luke Gorham