Synopsis
Taking over Leeds United, Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor.
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Cast
- Michael SheenBrian Clough
- Timothy SpallPeter Taylor
- Colm MeaneyDon Revie
- Jim BroadbentSam Longson
- Maurice RoëvesJimmy Gordon
- Stephen GrahamBilly Bremner
- Henry GoodmanManny Cossins
- Mark BazeleyAustin Mitchell
- Giles AldersonColin Todd
- Martin CompstonJohn O'Hare
Recommendations
- 100
Salon
It's a classic and even charming yarn of vanity, hubris and redemption, played out against the bizarre, intense alternate universe of '70s English soccer. - 100
The New York Times
The rare sports movie that deals with -- indeed positively relishes -- humiliation and disappointment. - 83
Entertainment Weekly
What's lost in translation is recovered easily enough in Michael Sheen's astonishing performance as Clough. - 80
Village Voice
A movie about soccer that doesn't spend a lot of time on the field, The Damned United, like everything Morgan writes, is an intimate character study, one that is enriched by a stellar ensemble of British pros, including Jim Broadbent as Derby's team owner. - 80
Time Out
Hardly the heady stuff of "Frost/Nixon"--or then again, maybe exactly the same thing. This one’s more rude and fun. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Director Tom Hooper ("John Adams") ably balances the games (surprisingly little football footage, actually), the personalities and the drama. - 70
Variety
Telling with a light, surefooted touch a legendary tale from British soccer history, The Damned United reps the latest collaboration in factual fiction between chameleon thesp Michael Sheen, screenwriter Peter Morgan and producer Andy Harries ("Frost/Nixon," "The Queen"). - 70
New York Magazine (Vulture)
More Eurocentric but quite enjoyable, even for those of us who don’t follow British “football.”
