The Damned United is exactly what a sports movie should be. The Damned United follows famous English manager Brian Clough as he takes over one of England's biggest clubs at the time Leeds United. He only stays on as manager for 44 days before he is fired. The first thing that stands out about this compared to other sports movies is that it is about a failure. It isn't some fairy tale run where you know the underdog team is going to rise above the odds and win some unimaginable competition. It is about a big club which had won the English title the year before falling flat on their ass.
The movie is much more about Brian Clough and his right hand man Peter Taylor than anything else, so for the producers to tell this story they could have chose one of their many success: winning the European Cup with Nottingham Forrest, winning the English First Divison with Derby County, but instead they chose the biggest failure of Brian Clough's career. What this did was allow the movie to be a real story with a lighthearted feel.
This movie was not a comedy, but unlike other sports movies there was no lame cliched inspirational soundtrack, there was no inspiring speech in slow motion, instead there was irony, humour and a taste of realism. Nothing is romanticized it is just told to you the way it is.
What really keeps the movie going is the clever wit of Brian Clough played by Michael Sheen. I would recommend learning a bit of the back story before going to see the Damned United, especially on Clough because Michael Sheen portrays him perfectly. One of the highlights of the film is Clough's first speech to the players when he arrives at Leeds. For those who are fans of British humour, the Damned United is a must watch.
For directors out there looking to make an original sports movie look no further than the Damned United for inspiration. The Damned United is proof that not all sports movies have to be heavy-handed, dramatic, underdog stories.
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