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Green Street Hooligans
Directed by: Lexi Alexander
Starring: Elijah Wood
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 109
min.
Release Date:
Sept. 2005
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Violence for the sake of
violence is probably one of the most unappealing things most people can
think of. But other forms of violence are often just as suspect. To war
over ones religious beliefs, cultural differences, or natural resources
is just as insidious. So try to imagine fighting over ...nothing. Well,
maybe not nothing. Perhaps your pride was at stake. Is that worth
beating your fellow man over the head with a blunt object? This will be
the toughest thing to understand when watching GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS.
Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood, LORD OF THE RINGS series) just got kicked out
of Harvard. He was only two months shy of graduating with a degree in
journalism when drugs were found in his university apartment. But Matt
shared the place with another roommate who’d been hiding his drugs
within Matt’s closet. And this roommate belongs to a powerful family
(the Van Holden’s). His roommate promises to give Matt a job if he just
holds out for a little while. So Matt, being a bit of a scrawny
weakling, accepts his disgrace and leaves Harvard (it should also be
noted that Matt had little chance of beating the wrap even if he
notified the appropriate authorities because of how powerful the Van
Holden’s were).
Matt flees to his sister’s house in England where he tries to hide his
shame from his journalist father, too. And an accidental run-in with a
football (don’t call it soccer!) fanatic will alter Matt’s life forever.
Pete Dunham (Charlie Hunnam, NICHOLAS NICKLEBY) is this football fan who
heads a group of hooligans on Green Street. They have what they call “A
Firm” which, in reality, is nothing more than a gang of thugs parading
around as local football devotees. When games are played at home or on
another team’s turf, the Green Street Hooligans are there, mocking the
opposing team’s “Firm”, thus igniting bloody-fisted brawls. The winner
of said brawls receives pride points as word of their successes spread
from Firm to Firm. Matt becomes one of the Green Street gang and learns
to strengthen his knuckles as well as his pride. As the blood spews (and
there’s crimson-o-plenty), Matt falls deeper and deeper under violence’s
spell.
It takes a bitter fight to free Matt from the Hooligans’ clutches, and
he heads back to America where he finally confronts his old Harvard
roommate with the drug problem. But now Matt isn’t afraid. His mind is
sharp and his fists scarred. His hallelujah moment arrives just as
expected.
Although predictable too, the ending is a righteous event. Elijah Wood
pulls in an excellent performance as a completely believable wuss who
eventually turns his life around via questionable tactics. This is what
gives the film its positive rating, too.
The tough pill to swallow is the extreme violence that gushes across the
screen and the all important “why”. Why do they fight like this over
seemingly nothing? Part of it is a sense of belonging. To anything. Even
if that “anything” is beating on someone’s face whom you know nothing
about.
The reality is that there are things like this out there (just read the
newspapers about football fans brawling in parking lots, or little
league parents beating up umpires for bad calls), which is why you’ll
see positive reviews of Green Street Hooligans. But that doesn’t make
this any less a sad statement. But a statement isn’t why we’re here.
We’re here to see if the film was entertaining, and it most certainly
was. But separating the message from the entertainment may be too
difficult for some viewers.
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Image from Green Street
Hooligans
DVD cost: $17.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
West Ham were approached
by the film-makers who wanted to shoot scenes at their Upton Park
ground. As they were under the impression that the film was celebrating
the glorious game and its fanatical supporters, they agreed. Once they
realized the film's true take on the subject (after filming had taken
place), they disassociated themselves from the project.
Movie Quote: "When
the whistles blow, blood will flow."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Green Street Hooligans
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