Excellent performances, but the film is much different in tone from David Peace's novel, which was darker. My main criticism regarding the film is schematic, the screenplay flitting between Clough at Derby and then his disastrous tenure at Leeds. It interrupts the momentum of the film.
Dare I say it, but perhaps the screenplay dwelt too much on Clough's tenure at Derby and I say this as someone who supports the Black & the White. 'The Damned United' was always going to be a challenging book to adapt, but perhaps with careful selected flashbacks, the screenplay could've quickly established the differing philosophies in style between Clough & Revie's sides.
As for the confrontation between Clough & his players at Leeds, it bordered on caricature,listening to mocking comments behind closed doors, whereas in the book, the menace & hostility towards Clough is palpable but often veiled, a simmering resentment that Clough can feel in the empty corridors of Elland Road.
TDU is a good film, entertaining, it shifts the tone & broadens the action from inside Clough's mind to be about his relationship with Peter Taylor. It is a welcome addition to the genre of sports films, but I don't think it is a classic. I remember John Sayles' 'Eight Men Out', about real-life corruption in US baseball in the early 20c. As a (sports) film that left a more lingering impact.
Dare I say it, but perhaps the screenplay dwelt too much on Clough's tenure at Derby and I say this as someone who supports the Black & the White. 'The Damned United' was always going to be a challenging book to adapt, but perhaps with careful selected flashbacks, the screenplay could've quickly established the differing philosophies in style between Clough & Revie's sides.
As for the confrontation between Clough & his players at Leeds, it bordered on caricature,listening to mocking comments behind closed doors, whereas in the book, the menace & hostility towards Clough is palpable but often veiled, a simmering resentment that Clough can feel in the empty corridors of Elland Road.
TDU is a good film, entertaining, it shifts the tone & broadens the action from inside Clough's mind to be about his relationship with Peter Taylor. It is a welcome addition to the genre of sports films, but I don't think it is a classic. I remember John Sayles' 'Eight Men Out', about real-life corruption in US baseball in the early 20c. As a (sports) film that left a more lingering impact.