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What this film does have:
Astonishing costumes. If you've ever wanted to see silks and
gildings, it's a must see.
Fine performances. Really. The whole cast, main and supporting,
are delightful.
Characters, as above. Delightful, and fully-realised. Often
surprising.
Plenty of laughs.
Dare I say it, a "feel-good" ending. You'll leave the
cinema feeling good about yourself, the world, and possibly even
soccer. You may have an urge to kick a ball around, or you may not.
Jolly end credits. The whole audience sat around until the
credits had finished, which is virtually unknown in my neck of the
woods.
What it doesn't have:
Saccharine. Not a skerrick. Emotional moments are conducted with
a lightness of touch commonly only found in skilled dessert chefs.
Cliche. The tangled path between the obvious cliches is...bugger,
lost the verb. I was trying to say that the director navigates as
skillfully as, errr, Beckham. Buggered that piece up, then, didn't
I?
In summary: See it. Really. I urge you to. You'll thank
me. At least, if you like fun movies with warm amusing characters.
Rating:
I'd give it a good 9 offside rules out of 10.
Reviewed by Alison Jobling
OTHER REVIEWS:
David Stratton at The
Australian
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