THE MATCH is in the same category of "little UK films" as CALENDAR GIRLS, THE ENGLISHMAN WHO..., LOCAL HERO, etc. which depend on a likable and quirky set of characters to drive a plot that you KNOW will "all turn out right" from the first frame. As many have pointed out, there's not much you couldn't guess about the plot as it proceeds, but I enjoyed being along for the ride. Watching Bill Paterson, Ian Holm, Richard E. Grant and the others obviously enjoying their roles was a pleasure. The slightly odd Celtic soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams, plus the interesting choices of source music, added an extra layer of enjoyment. Just ignore the plot holes (would there really have been a bar called L'BISTRO in 1899?) and have yourself a jolly good evening of light fun.
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LCShackley28 December 2006
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sutcal31 July 2001This was actually an enjoyable movie to watch, but nothing I would recommend to anyone as a "stand out". The entire movie centres around the pending soccer match between rival pub customers with the winner vanquishing the losers pub for ever.
The central character is the ultimate hero with the customary love interest that bears fruit at the very end of the movie. There are a couple of Cameo appearances from Alan Shearer and James Bond himself to carry some weight to the cast.
Sometimes these sort of movies can be a very enjoyable experience and I probably saw this one on the wrong day (was looking for something more meaty in plot).
It's sort of like a Full Monty crossed with Notting Hill type movie but not as good as either and certainly not as funny.
That said, passes the time when nothing else to do. -
davidholmesfr22 April 2002Gregory's Girl meets Brassed Off - or Brosnan meets the Channel 4 style of film-making and loses. You probably need to be rural British to appreciate the rigours of amateur football played on pitches utilised (and fertilised) by farm stock for the rest of the week. And it would also help if you understand the dedication to one pub over and above another. The real problem is the total predictability; no-one could possibly deny the inevitable outcome and although there are a few laughs en route it's a journey hardly worth bothering with. If there's nothing else on then switch off brain and press start. It's totally harmless fun and good triumphs over evil. But for really good films about football then try Gregory's Girl or the classic "Ripping Yarn" of Michael Palin's Barnstoneworth United made by BBC TV many years ago.
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Scottish milkman Wuille's life is in a bit of turmoil. His sweetheart has returned to the village and his local pub is at risk from being shut down as a result of a century old bet with another pub to win a football match. With his pub's group of thugs seemingly having no chance Wuille decides to move his life on by making his feelings clear to Shelia and coaching his team to victory.
With the success of The Full Monty, everyone wanted to make a British comedy that would cost little but hit big. The Match is one of those attempted clones but it doesn't quite work as well as it could do. The plot is promising but little of it carries through. The subplots and history behind the main characters isn't really followed for example the loss of Wuille's brother or the relationship with Shelia, neither are fully explored.
The comedy is of the amusing but not hilarious type with some good characters but nothing to write home about. There are no jokes that really stand out and rather the film has a general air of being bemused rather than funny. It all makes for a watchable film that will quickly fade from your memory. The use of music makes it feel like every other Brit comedy of recent memory, the tunes of nice but it just sticking to the formula and shows no real evidence of invention.
The cast are OK but don't really stand out, they are all pretty average. Beesley is an average lead but love interest Blair does little but look pretty (although she does do it well!). Grant is camp and OTT but is good value. The cast of the two pubs are easily drawn comedy characters but none of the cameos really work. Sam Fox is nice to look at but does nothing, Shearer is simply pointless, Ian Holm is miscast but Brosnan is reasonable as he appears to be mocking his involvement a little!
It doesn't really work but the gentle air of predictable amusement is just enough to make this light enough to pass 90 minutes. Just don't expect anything more than that there is a reason why this was not a global sleeper hit. -
antoniotierno18 July 2007It's undeniable that this kind of plot was worked and reworked in many movies but "The Match" has a wonderful locale and a decent cast (also starring the American Tom Sizemore). The team of misfits subject is here handled focusing on quirky characters and on a romantic basis (Willie is still in love with his childhood friend Rosemary). This small-town comedy - with a little Pierce Brosnan cameo - dealing with the underdog theme and the football/soccer popularity, could somehow remind other working class stories but it's completely different from Ken Loach pictures because is less centered on social problems and more on a melhancoly atmosphere. However it works
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tophatcat6417 February 2006The Match is a light, airy, slice of life movie that's capped off by one of those clichéd "final game" type sports movie scenes.
First, the good stuff. The Match generally has excellent cinematography, as Mick Davis takes full advantage of the endless rolling highlands that make up Scotland. There is always a feeling of freedom in shots of Inverdoune's people and buildings as the director gives his characters space to move through out the shot. Wullie floats through the countryside on his bike, children run free through the street, sunlight streams across wide lakes. There is nary a crowd to be seen outside.
Benny's bar is also an excellent set piece. I don't even drink and I would love to hang out at Benny's. The director uses the lighting to create a great deal of warmth in the well-aged wooden walls and tables.
There are also lot of quirky details in the movie that get a chuckle. The man and his son having to brake their bread van by jumping out and pushing against it. The "gets me hard" mechanic mentioning why he chose the violin. Buffalo attempting to ride a bike drunk. One detail in particular though, struck me as really above and beyond the usual attention to detail. One character in the film (I don't know his name) always wears an eye patch and in the Hawaiian party at the bar he replaces it with some combination of grapes and leaves on a strap. Absolutely hilarious and I commend Davis for going the extra mile there.
Now for the bad stuff. Wullie and friends are a lovable bunch of losers. I never actually caught everyone's name other then Wullie, Buffalo, Rosemary, and Gorgeous George but the movie never forced me to learn about them as very little time is spent developing anyone outside of Wullie, and even he is still very much a piece of cardboard as a character. Wullie's mother is probably depressed but we're never really told anything else beyond that. Rosemary is going off to college or a new job but she mainly exists as a symbol of progress for Wullie, the only reason he'd have to leave his village. Gorgeous George is a generic rich scumbag complete with the usual villain clichés of misplaced vanity, snarling voice, and evil henchman in the form of Le Bistro's soccer team.
The last act of the film is easily the worst part of the movie. Wullie's mother suddenly reveals he is the great grandson of Benny himself (eh?!) and he discovers Benny's long lost uniform upstairs in the attic. Fast Forward, time for the match. Wullie's team manages to arrive just before they would of had to forfeit, all in matching Benny's uniforms (where the heck did the other ones come from?!). The game starts. The Bistro team is obviously better prepared having witnessed them practicing through out the entire film and they jump out to an early 2-0 lead. No surprise there, we've only seen the Benny's team practice twice and they still look horrible. But UH OH, here comes an avalanche of sports movie clichés. Wullie's mother gets off her duff and arrives with words of encouragement (Unexpected-Love-From-A-Formerly-Cold-Parent). Wullie shouts really loudly and gives THE SPEECH (+100-To-Sports-Talent-Pep-Talk). The formerly indifferent former soccer pro joins Wullie's Team (Reluctant-Ringer-Finally-Decides-To-Join). Wullie's team scores two quick goals and miraculously outplays Bistro. The Bistro captain takes out former soccer pro's knee (Dirty-Move-Takes-Out-The-Star) and it's up to Wullie to take the penalty kick with 15 seconds left (A-Chance-For-Redemption). Wullie draws upon the nearly random memory of his brother falling to his death while they were kids, and manages to score.
Yay.
Ironically the underdog sports team in this movie has more to play for then nearly any sports team I've seen. If they lose, their bar gets shut down and demolished by Gorgeous George. As it's set up in the film, that would largely mean the end of any kind of life for the pup-goers and I truly believed that. These people NEED that bar. It's too bad they had to cheapen the game so much by drowning it in clichés and squeezing it into the last 10 minutes of the movie.
Overall, a feel-good type movie that had potential to be a lot more. -
adrianus6 November 2001cool movie, it appears as if there's only 5 'buildings' in this movie, but that's oke, it suits the budget.
The story is simple yet viewable to everyone, no matter what age.
Even though I can imagine that some will find Sam Fox is still hot in this film :-)
The well-known actors weren't actually needed, but it gave a nice touch to the film. After all, Pierce Brosnan is one of the producers.
Sometimes it's very relaxing to have a look at a movie that's not to complicated but interesting, cause it's about a village somewhere where everyone knows each other and pub challenges are topic of the year.
Go and see this movie, you won't regret it. -
almharet17 February 2002Other people have used the words "light, romantic" for this film. I'd sooner use the words boring and predictable. If, as a child, you watched all those wonderful family sport movies(i.e., Little Giants, Angels in the Outfield), and then followed those up with the slightly more grown-up, but otherwise fairly similar sport dramedies (Mystery Alaska, for example) you get a pretty good idea of the sport movie formula, and they all share a trick or two. What makes some of them good is little twists of originality that sets them apart. Even storylines that allow the heroic team to lose set themselves apart in a show of realistic-ness and, well, modesty. I saw this movie for one reason: Richard E. Grant. And I rated it above a 1 for one reason: Richard E. Grant. He added a few comic moments to a story that otherwise I could practically recite without ever coming in contact with it before. There is nothing worse than sitting in front of a movie, and saying to yourself, "Oh, jeez, I know exactly what's going to happen next, and what's going to happen after that, and so on", and then finding that you are exactly right. We have the two competing pubs, the good guys, roughcut poor men with hearts of gold deep, deep down under their unwashed hides and snarly attitudes, versus the rich snobs of L'Bistro (now, come on guys, a Bistro in the middle of rural Scotland?), who are of course the champions of the last ninety nine years of matches between the two, and of course it all stems from a century old bet between the two original owners, who were once friends but then were torn apart over -- drumroll please -- a woman. Now, I'm not going to tell you how it ends, but hopefully you'll have the intellect to guess it without ever having to go out and waste your money on this piece. The one exception to the monotony was Grant, who comically portrays Gorgeous Gus, L'Bistro's villainous owner. His sideline antics were the only thing that made the final big match seen worth the time. Even so, it hardly passed. I give it a two, for Grant's sake. And, if he's what you're seeing it for, there are some much better ones you could rent. I highly recommend "Jack and Sarah"
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cemk-218 August 2000Now this one is a remarkable little gem. The plot is very sympathetic, it has no great ambitions to prove it's a box-office topper, it has a kindness and warmth many a film lack these days, or even, I dare say, these decades. This film is proof that we still need a British film industry, for it has a very strong cast, a very well-written script, and very human elements to deal with. The film really aims at your heart and hits. It's funny, it's real, it is alive. The British these days are really very good at making films that are about all things human but which are not boring; this one is a very good example of it along with Notting Hill, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and The Full Monty (yes, NH is actually US-backed, but it is typically English). When Americans try to be this life-like, the result is as boring as Dancer, Texas, pop. 81. I had just picked this one up for it starred Max Beesley that I had liked at the TV series Tom Jones and the ever-charming Richard E. Grant. I am very pleased that I made a very right decision not only for the two were great to watch -especially Beesley proves he is a very good and versatile actor and he manages a near-perfect West of Scotland accent unlike Richard E. Grant- but for it is a very good film as well. The acting's brilliant, the main event so small and unimportant that it proves life is not actually about saving the world from great enemies of humanity but is a structure made out of small, delightful and not-so-delightful elements; and that love, friendship, competition, are all nice, human desires and are there to be shared. This is one hell of a feel-good film and I hope anyone seeing this review will watch it. It'll make you feel good and human, too. This is the very film if you're feeling bored of all the Cruises, Damons, Willises of Hollywood, for it proves how you can be a very good actor and still not play-act as well. I definitely recommend this to anyone who still thinks cinema is about things human and not necessarily expensive and superhuman/surreal/ridiculous.
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Although this is clearly low budget, and full of sports clichés (also a goofy plot idea), the music is wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The opening scene to "Hot Love" by T Rex hooked me, and the scene of the underdog team taking the field is also a delight. "FBI" by The Shadows is a musical treasure! I rarely notice music in movies, but this show had me checking all the musical credits at the end. The love story is more than a bit juvenile, but again it is well-intended, and it did not detract from the story. Sometimes coarse language will put off some viewers, but this is still a good-hearted movie. "Fever Pitch" is of course a better soccer show, and this will never be remade as a baseball show, but you do not need to be a soccer fan to enjoy it.
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Basically The Match is an hour and a half of your life you'll wish you'd spent chewing glass.
It is based around a bet which has been placed in a small highland village. If Benny's Bar don't win 'the match', the 100th of it's kind, then the bar will be closed down. It is then up to a team of the locals to play against a far superior team encountering a whole heap of problems along the way, throw in a romance, a death to lift team spirit and Neil Morrissey saying 'p**s-off' an awful lot and that's the gist of it.
This film is not funny. I would have had more fun at the dentist. Considering that it is set in the highlands and half the cast aren't scottish but instead choose to talk like characters from The Broons is painful enough for any viewer but with the only real interst taking place in the last 10 mins and a completely predictable story line, I was severely disappointed.
The only redeeming feature of the film is that at times it is so bad it is laughable. Don't get me wrong, I set out determined to give it a chance but only got 10 mins in before I was crying with boredom.
A lot of good talent was wasted in this film and Sam Fox-whoever let her loose on celluloid should be shot. -
LukeS11 August 1999The Match is a comedy in the same vein as The Full Monty. It falls short of the latter in terms of sustained laugh-aloud comedy but has a naive sweetness and a fairly exciting footballing climax.
The calibre of the cast is excellent - perhaps to the film's ultimate detriment - and the plot both light and fantastic. The comedy remains constant but never belly-wrenching; the romance sweet but never Romeo & Juliet-threatening; and the football match climax enjoyable but never over-whelming.
Having said all that, the film feels like it might have worked more successfully as an out and out kids' movie. The comedy is fairly accessible (if a little UK-specific) and the sporting battle widely appealing to children. Add to this cameos from England's most famous footballer and one of the world's biggest stars (I'm not spoiling the surprise) and there is much to be said in favour of this small, enjoyable film. -
kosmasp13 June 2021I have to admit I had a few issues with the "slang" (Scottish accent) at the beginning. It is always a bit weird to me - certain words are pronounced a way I am not used to hear them. Especially when I am used to American English anyway. That's just a side note and might be of interest to some who feel or have similar experiences.
But that aside, the movie is really quite something and very well told. The humor is dry and the addition of a "Hollywood star" (Tom Sizemore of Heat fame - but you may also know him from Relict or some other oddity) is also a nice touch. And then there is the ... football/soccer - depending on what you call it. A funny indie indeed - no pun intended. -
simon_sparrow13 August 2001Every male character in this movie behaves as if he had the maturity of a ten-year old, or worse. A pub is put on the line for no particular reason. Everything is over-the-top and overplayed to the hilt. Producer Brosnan has a pointless cameo. I found the entire experience an utter waste of my money and time.
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andy-197827 January 2007I am reviewing this film as an ex pat actor from the UK watching it for the first time in Australia.
Initially I thought Max Beesley had a look of Ewan Mcgregar.
His performance is shows that he his equally talented. The selection of cast and music is a typically British gem. I personally love this style of raw talent. Putting Alan Shearer and Sam Fox into the cast is bizarre but work so well.
Pierce Brosnan you are a star. I love your acting and now I am a fan of your producing.
andy@andy-croft.com -
Wullie Smith (Max Beesley) is a handicapped young man with a serious trauma: his brother Johnny died when they were young while climbing a mountain because of his fault. He works as a milkman in a tiny city in Scotland and has a crush on Rosemary Bailey (Laura Fraser). However, he is too shy to declare his love to her. Every night, Wullie meets his friends in a pub called `Bennys'. This place is the fruit of a bet made one hundred years ago, against another pub, `Le Bistro'. In that time, their owners firmed a stake: Bennys would never win Le Bistro in one hundred soccer games along one hundred years. The winner of the bet would take possession of both pubs. In the present, Bennys has lost the previous ninety-nine games, and needs desperately to win the last game. I bought this DVD maybe two years ago in a sale offer, and I have not paid attention to it until today. I have just seen it, and it is a delightful and exciting movie. The story is indeed a comedy, but has also drama and romance. The cast has a great performance and makes the viewer cheers in many situations. I am Brazilian, land of the soccer (The British invented this game, and we improved it), and five times world champion, and I love soccer. This movie has absurd, such as the couch, who is handicap, decides the game shooting a penalty in the end of the match, but who is caring to that? The important thing is `the good guys' win `the bad guys', and this is achieved. It is a very funny situation, because in Brazil, we soccer fans have a saying, which is: `Penalty is so important that the president of the club should be responsible for shooting it'. Therefore, for us Brazilians, it is very funny the foregoing mentioned situation. Pierce Brosnan has a surprisingly participation in the end of the story. This film is highly recommended for fans of soccer. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): `A Aposta' (`The Bet') -
takemeout30 January 2006This is a fantastic film set in a fictional location in the Scottish Highlands. Basically it is about two pub teams and a historic rivalry based on a game of football. Benny's bar are really the "good guys", but are crap at football. L'Bistro is the posh upper class pub, but they are the "bad guys". The teams have played 99 games in a row, and if they loose the 100th game, they also loose the pub, and their livelihood. This film does have a lot of bad write ups, but I think it is a brilliant film. Simple, yes. Predictable, yes. But still a great film. The only drawback is few of the cast are actually Scottish, and we have to listen to their painfully poor Scottish accents.
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us_rugby_fan-14 October 2006I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. The only reason I gave it an 8 is because of the "love" interests they try and through it. If they would have just kept the movie about football between the two pubs, then it would have made a 10 easy. Funny and entertaining, just can't get better than that. In all honesty, the football scene is way too short for the build up. I will admit, the ending is predictable. It starts off OK, builds, plateaus, then ends predictably. I recommend this to anyone who loves football. However it does not portray small town Scottish life very well. Rent it or buy it, you'll love it. I give it 3 thumbs up.
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smiley pie4 February 2000This is one of the funniest films of teh year it stars Max Beesley and Richard E Grant who both live in a tiny village and Geore Gus (Richard E Grant) owns his own pub and has had pub football team that has an annual match once a year for the past 99 years. When Wullie Smith (Max Beesley) takes over as the manager of "Bennys" another pub he has just 14 days to train a team that may win the match for the first time ever!!!
Neil Morrissey as a bloke called "Piss-Off" this is because if any one asks him a question he answers with "Piss Off". He is a former pro but when he found his wife in the team bath with the rest of the team he retired and never played again. Both teams are desperate to get him play and when he turns up at the match in Gus's team colours they may be a bit of trouble for "Benny's"
Wullie has lived there all his life and when he childhood sweethart comes back there may be a bit of skills required off the pitch as well.
The only think wrong about this film is that it is remarkably similar to John Godber's film Up 'N' Under except this film is about football and nort rugby
This being Mick Davis first ever film I look forward to seeing more of his presentations and hopes he keeps the same humor in the next film he makes.
IMDB members have given this 7.2 out of 10 which I think is better than what the voters have given it. 8.5/10