Memorable, crazy movie

Highly Overrated But Still Good

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It may be considered the beautiful game, but films about football have a nasty habit of ending up not-very-good. It just seems a fiendishly difficult sport to transfer to a cinematic canvas in a dramatic and involving way. When Saturday Comes is not the film to put right this strange, unwritten law of the cinema. It's not that it's a hopelessly terrible turd of a movie – far from it – but it's just a very average, pedestrian sports drama which doubles up as yet another social commentary on the grimness of northern life. Will there ever be a film about people who thrive, and enjoy life, north of the Watford Gap? Who knows?Typical working-class, beer-swilling, woman-chasing factory worker Jimmy Muir (Sean Bean) has been stuck in dead end jobs since leaving school. The thing is, he could have had a much different life if his talents had been channelled correctly by the people around him as he was growing up. You see, Jimmy is a pretty damn fine footballer… but his archetypal lad's lifestyle, plus constant negativity from his abusive father Joe (John McEnery), mean that he never really pursued his talent with the required dedication. Jimmy's future begins to look a little brighter when he falls for feisty wages clerk Annie Doherty (Emily Lloyd), and is scouted by celebrated non-leaguers Hallam FC, coached by Ken Jackson (Pete Postlethwaite). Gradually, Jimmy works his way up to playing for professional side Sheffield United. Although that side's captain (played, curiously, by ex-Sheffield Wednesday star Mel Sterland) despises Jimmy, the hopeful newcomer gets his chance to enter Sheff Utd folklore when he comes on as a substitute in a cup semi final match against Manchester United. Will he seize his moment in the spotlight, or fold under the pressure when the stakes are highest?When Saturday Comes is better in its dramatic scenes than its sporty ones. The football sequences capture neither the on-field drama nor off- field camaraderie one would hope for. The climax is especially disappointing – a strangely rushed and muddled sequence which trips over itself in its haste to get to Jimmy's all-too predictable 'punch-the- air-in-delight' moment after all those years of rejection and hardship. Erroneous little details don't help much either, such as the fact the FA Cup semi final depicted here is played at Brammall Lane, home of Sheffield United, when in actual fact FA Cup semis are always contested at a neutral venue. The performances are OK, though. 36 year old Bean is too old for his role but plays it enthusiastically enough. As a real- life Sheff Utd fan, this is something of a wish fulfilment film for him, or perhaps, some might say, a vanity project. He certainly seems more at home in this sort of kitchen sink stuff than playing Bond villains or traipsing across Middle Earth with a bunch of hobbits. Lloyd's spirited girlfriend character, and Postlethwaite as the supportive coach, are also strongly realised characters who contribute to the film's positives. As far as films set in Yorkshire go, When Saturday Comes is not really one of the best. It hardly taxes the patience, and is certainly not a complete disaster, but it never rises far above the level of a run-of-the-mill time filler.

Despite myself being an avid fan of the predominant obsession held by Sean Bean in the film which should've given me leverage to compliment this film, I can't say it encapsulated my attention and imagination to the levels of quality that I've come to expect from a film through years of maturity and film studying.From the outset, you could tell the dialogue was poor (despite myself speaking in the same accents) and not even the great Pete Postlethwaite could salvage this film from it's inevitable trip to the "could've been" and perhaps "should've been" pile. This is sad because the age-old story line of "young, poor bloke with a dream hits it big and becomes a star" has often produced such outstanding films, one British film following this genre when recalled to memory is "The Full Monty" which managed to achieve this better than When Saturday Comes though only with limited international success. However, this film is not all bad, there are some (rarely) memorable scenes and Bean himself puts in a sure-footed and confident performance which would later win him parts in Goldeneye and more prominently, Lord of The Rings.Although it pains me to say it, this film is hardly a classic, but more of a film which had the makings of a good movie which were sadly missed through poor directing and poor dialogue although the acting (from most) was stout and confident.

"When saturday comes" is a movie i wont forget easily.Its about courage and choices you take that affect your life.Its incredibly touching in some moments and makes you feel compassion for Jimmy Muir.He is a guy who wanted to play football,but was refused the chance as a teenager and instead has to go the grey worker road to support himself.Then suddenly the chance he wanted 10 years ago is right there ahead of him.But he feels what most of us felt when we first got our career breaks-he's afraid and unsecure.So he drowns himself in drinking and other excesses to try and make the fear go away.But it doesnt work that way.Instead he loses the chance he so much wanted and is back on the grey dirty road again.The football field here has a symbolic meaning.Its the way out of his grey everyday,a bright road that leads away from it to a better life.Thats what makes this movie so poignant.For Jimmy Muir there is no other way to have a happy life.After losing both his brother and his girl,he is desperate and thinks life has no meaning anymore.But then he remembers what his brother said that symbolises the true spirit.That you have to give your best in order to succeed in life and never give in for your fear.Sean Bean was great in this film.The recent years i have been admiring him more and more and this film is a good reason to do it.Pete Postlethwaite and Emily Loyd make a great supporting cast.This is a movie to remember.8 out of 10.

WHEN SATURDAY COMES is a little, British football flick but brilliant. Quite similar to FEVER PITCH but ten times more better. It provides booze, sex and excitement on the pitch. You can't get fed up this the first time you watch it. Brilliant and FULL MONTY style, this film was so exciting and Sean Bean gives a good performance. It was so good that my popcorn finished a quarter of the way through it, that's how excited i was even though i had a mega-deluxe bag. Blood rushed was rushing all over to different parts of my body. All that i could think of was football, sex, booze, football, sex, booze. WSC. What pardon?. WSC. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1. It is more exciting than watching boring, boring Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Brazil. Ah, what's wrong?....your hot dog finished?, tomato ketchup spilt down your jumper. WSC is brilliant.