Customer Reviews

The Club

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Graham Kennedy acted a fantastic part in this movie as well as Jack Thompson.Now GK was best known for his IMT,but he also did some fine acting in movies,such as The Odd Angry Shot and this.Now some supporters from other clubs may be annoyed at the fact this is about Collingwood,but which better club to do this on than the most controversial and crucified club in the league.Now this is not statisticly correct this movie which annoys people like me who like to check things up.They mention premierships and other things that realy did not happen.But as far as in-fighting in a club goes its very believable.Jealousy,stubborness its all here.They spend alot of time arguing in this movie,because star new recruit Jeff Heyward was not preforming as expected.Its interesting to see some of the Collingwood players such as Peter Daicos,Rene Kink as Tank,Ray Shaw and various others.I also saw Tom Hafey in the club rooms acting a part as a trainer.Lou Richards also appeared here as well.So you spend alot of time trying to put names to faces.The acting itself is exceptional,even old Jock played a great part.No doubt alot of the back stabbing exsists in clubs today.The way they nailed Graham Kennedy out of his presidency was disgracefull.But in the end the star recruit pulls his straps and you guessed it the Pies came home with the goods.Interestingly against Fitzroy.They at the time were actual regular finals contenders.The movie was shot in around 1980,and at Victoria Park,now known as McHale Stadium.I recently went for a walk around that ground,and its kind of ghost like as you remember what once took place.Where there was once crowds squashed in like sardines,it was empty and unused.That also adds to the mystique of this movie.

The Club is a terrific Australian comedy drama about the political infighting and boardroom battles at a failing Australian Rules Football club (that curious mixture of rugby, basketball and volleyball so beloved of Aussies) where commercial considerations are taking over from love of the game - hardly the most promising subject matter on paper, but David Williamson's sharp script and strong performances make it really fly. Graham Kennedy steals the honors with a great performance as the new chairman, who, for all his pomposity, genuinely loves the club and the game - unlike those plotting against him, the Iago-like administrator (Alan Cassell) who never uses the word `I' when doing the dirty on a rival and the vice president (Frank Wilson) who'll happily see his team lose if it means stopping anyone breaking his own records as a player and coach. Kennedy's scene on the pitch recalling a classic match play by play is a wonderful moment, and Jack Thompson gives a great display of genuinely supporting acting by both keeping out of his limelight but also being absolutely there in the scene. Great stuff even if you hate sports.

Umbrella's Australian DVD is a great package too - a good widescreen transfer, a 35-minute documentary featuring Thompson, Bruce Beresford and others, half-hour documentary on David Williamson, a radio adaptation of the play, location cOmparison, trailer, music video and an audio of Thompson whispering a dirge-like rendition of the Collingwood Football Club Song (sung to the tune of 'Goodbye Dolly Grey') in a performance that makes Lee Marvin sound like Pavarotti! A championship disc all the way.

The product came as advertised. If you like sports and miss the edge of being on a team this movie fits the bill.

I've loved this movie since I first saw it on cable TV over 25 years ago. It was an award winning stage play adapted for the big screen. It can be a little cliched (even for a sports movie), some of the scenes are jarringly inconsistent with the tone and mood of the rest of the movie, and it clearly was not a big budget film, but all that being said, it is a little gem of a film that entertains from start to finish.
For pedigree, the director Bruce Beresford and lead actor Jack Thompson (no, NOT the former presidential candidate) were both part of the even more critically acclaimed film "Breaker Morant".
Set against the background of an Australian Rules Football Club (thus, the title), it has themes of traditional sportsmen clashing with the newer generation of "in it for the money" players, the internal backstabbing politics of the club's board members, and a collection of rising -and falling- stars.
Through it all, there are scenes in which various characters express their love of football and the glory of the game in ways that are so poignant and touching that they rival some of the best scenes in any of the "classic" sports films. I think that's why I enjoy this film so much. With some key scenes and a few dozen lines of sharp dialogue, each of the characters comes to life and rises above the cardboard figures you usually watch in sports films.
You don't have to follow or understand Australian Football to enjoy the movie, but if you're a fan of the sport, I promise you'll LOVE the movie.
My only regret is that I can't find it released in DVD for Region 1 so I had to replace my original VHS recording with another one.