Green Street Hooligans (2005)

Undescribable Perfection

Simply A Masterpiece

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

This movie had two things I didn't care much for: soccer (yes I called it soccer) and senseless violence.It would be an error to say the movie was about soccer because it had very little to do with soccer. It had more to do with senseless violence than anything. Green Street Hooligans did its level best to convince us of the nobility of soccer "firms" (aka gangs). Apparently, the soccer teams of England also have unofficial "firms" attached to them. These "firms" are nothing more than liquored up thugs that fight each other for a "rep" and "firm" dominance. What failed to resonate with me was the fact that these firms fought each other based upon their chosen soccer team. They make a point to insult the Crips and Bloods who fight over turf as though fighting for soccer is somehow more noble.It's a sport. It's for entertainment. The players themselves wouldn't even fight over their respective teams. And I get sports passion because I love sports myself. Still, I'm not fighting over it.The main character, Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood), was a languishing spineless soul until he fell in with the West Ham United firm--or so they'd have you believe. After he got a taste of blood and excitement he was a changed man. A better man.The plot was painfully simple and one-dimensional and Elijah Wood didn't sell it at all. Nobody really was able to sell this movie to me. It was hard to take one iota of this seriously. Fighting over soccer teams, reputations, journalist phobias, and daddy issues all made an appearance and none of it made sense. I'm assuming that this movie is so beloved because it's like a British version of Fight Club. Fight Club I liked, this I didn't.

I reckon this film shows the world of the football hooligan. Football fans were a bit different in Ireland where hurling is the national sport and so garners most of the excitement. I like this film for the humanity, not being at all a sports fan myself.

This was really good; violent, brutal, raw and unique. Centering around the violent world of British football and hooliganism with a bit of a twist, as this follows an American (played by Elijah Wood). Wood plays a Harvard student who is wrongfully expelled after getting busted for his roommates cocaine and then flees to his sister's home in England.Once there, he is befriended by her charming and dangerous brother-in-law and introduced to the underworld of British football hooliganism.Based on the book "Amoung The Thugs" by Bill Buford the storyline is intriguing and emotional, the acting was superb here too, one of those movies that totally sucked me in. It has a bit of a 'Fight Club' vibe to it mostly because I think North Americans just don't get the whole hooliganism thing.This also stars a pre SOA Charlie Hunnam. Nice. 4/1/11

(16%) Elijah Wood as a football hooligan? What next, the killer in "Maniac"? It's clear the guy wants to branch out, but this ain't the movie to do so as this, just like the gang in question, is a terrible choice to involve himself with. The movie as a gritty drama misses the mark by some margin as it almost feels like a Hollywood writer penned it after reading half an article on angry burly football fans beating the crap out of each other for no good reason other than they are mindless thugs that happen to support a different club. The plot is lazy, exploitative, and so far from any sort of reality that I almost expect to see flying monkeys swoop over head. If anyone from overseas is shocked by this movie then don't be, as it is total claptrap right down to the fake cockney accents and its ridiculously contrived story.