CINEMA: The Damned United

Is there anyone the amazingly talented Mr Michael Sheen cannot play? I only ask because following his pitch perfect performances as Tony Blair (twice), Kenneth Williams and David Frost, he’s now nailed football manager extraordinaire Brian Clough. The film concentrates on the disastrous period in Clough’s career when he took over from Don Revie as manager of Leeds United and promptly made a pig’s ear out of the whole experience.

We’re back in the days of Watney’s Red Barrel and fags, when footballers were about as fit as your granny and Clough would leave a towel, an orange and an ashtray for each player in the away side’s changing room.  The ever-ambitious, full of himself Clough truly believed he could do better than Revie at United, but his cockiness got the better of him and he managed to piss off not only his players and United fans, but also the directors of the board.

However, although ostensibly about football, the beautiful game is really not what lies at the heart of this wonderfully acted and masterfully directed (by Tom Hooper of John Adams fame) gem, it’s actually all about friendship. Most especially it is about the bond between Clough and his right hand man Peter Taylor (played with great subtlety by Timothy Spall). Whereas Clough is all swagger and clever one-liners, Taylor quietly chugs along, preferring to manage things in the background.

It is in the scenes where Clough and Taylor interact that the film’s strength lies – showing Clough’s more human side and Taylor’s great skill in bringing out the best in this often quite difficult to like man. That’s why, even if you hate football and know nothing about Cloughie, The Damned United is still so worth seeing.