Customer Reviews

Goal! The Dream Begins [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Yes, this is another sports biography that offers a stage on which to play out the drama of the possibilities of dreams of the disenfranchised to become a reality. There are many, many films like this one and will doubtless be more: something there is about the 'team spirit' in the identity crisis of whether or not the poor (financially) new guy will be able to make the physical grade that draws large audiences. It is a formula and it often works despite weak structure and production values.

In the case of GOAL! THE DREAM BEGINS the viewer can put aside the doubts as to whether the film can make it on its own: this little low profile movie is well written (Mike Jefferies's story adapted for the screen by Adrian Butchart), well directed by Danny Cannon who knows well how to integrate live sports scenes into the drama, and consistently well acted by a troop of excellent actors, beginning with the very vibrant, handsome, and charismatic Kuno Becker ('Lucia, Lucia', 'Imagining Argentina', 'Once Upon a Wedding', 'English as a Second Language'), a 28 year old Mexican actor with an assured future in the lead role of Santiago. The supporting roles are classy contributions by the gifted Alessandro Nivola ('The Sisters', 'Junebug', 'The Clearing', 'Laurel Canyon', 'Love's Labour's Lost', 'Mansfield Park' etc), the very beautiful Anna Friel, Stephen Dillane, Marcel Iures, Tony Plana, Miriam Colon to mention only a few.

The story is secondary: as a child devotee of soccer Santiago immigrates illegally into the US with his family, grows up in Los Angeles working as a gardener, a dishwasher and other menial tasks while he consumes his spare time with developing his unique talents for soccer. Despite his father's insistence that he remain with the family business of gardening, Santiago is discovered by a scout on vacation from England, a bond develops and soon Santiago is off to Newcastle to pursue his dream of being a professional soccer player. The rest is pretty obvious - the ups and downs of an asthmatic kid competing in the wild world of sports. The star of the moment is Alessandro Nivola and despite the differences in their goals and social life they become friends who help each other in tender ways. There is of course a love interest, telephone calls and encouragement form Santiago's grandmother, adjustments to life in the UK -all altering the road toward Santiago's eventually attained goal.

The film is a bit lengthy (two hours) for the content, but then we understand this is the first of a trilogy, so get used to the story and the characters as they all remain constant for the next two installments. Whatever reservations you may have about sitting through another predictable sports movie just relax them: Kuno Becker alone is worth the time invested in this very fine little film. Grady Harp, September 06

Slickly made and featuring a terrifically involving performance from its lead man Kuno Becker, Goal is the epitome of a your rags-to-riches fairy tale, a truly romanticized ode to improbable dreams. Thankfully, the direction and performances are good enough to get us through the progressively hackneyed storyline and a screenplay that seems intent to offer up almost every single cliché in the book.

Illegally crossing into America as a child, Santiago Muñez, grows up in the barrio of East Los Angeles, sure of only one thing - his indelible love of soccer and that one day he wants to do something with his talent. He supports himself by working as a kitchen hand in a Chinese restaurant and as a gardener for his blue-collar dad, Hernan (Tony Plana) who tells him to stop dreaming and focus on supporting his family.

Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane) - a part-time talent scout and a former championship footballer with contacts in U.K. soccer world - spots Santiago playing and manages to persuade Erik Dornhelm (Marcel Iures), the German manager of Newcastle United, to give Santiago a tryout if he comes to the U.K.

With the help of his kindly grandmother (Miriam Colon), who tells him "to follow his dream," Santiago arrives in London, takes the train north and turns up unannounced on Glen's doorstep. Now in the cold and rainy Northeast England, Santiago has a month to prove himself worthy of playing alongside the cocky playboy David Beckham-like star Gavin Harris (Alessandro Nivola).

Apart from the obviously clichéd look of the film - Los Angeles is filmed in shades of burnt out orange and the UK is constantly awash in rainy washed-out blue - the poor Santiago is faced with many hurdles and indeed looks like an exotic looking fish out of water as he fights to stay on the reserve soccer team and achieve his inevitable path towards football glory.

The drama comes from the fact that he keeps mucking up. He's not used to playing in the rain and mud and there's the problem with his asthma that he keeps secret from Dornhelm and the attractive team nurse (Anna Friel) whom he has a crush on. He's on the team and then he's off the team, then there's a tragedy at home which forces him to rethink his priorities, and then he's faced with the inevitable moral choice of being an upright young man rather than party with the irresponsible Gavin.

The stereotypical characters are all here - the conceited and uncaring agent, the kindly grandma, the love-interest nurse, the cheering coach, the nasty team member, the truculent father, the quietly supportive kid brother. The film starts off very strong - the best scenes are those set in Los Angeles - but the story steadily begins to hinge on contrived coincidences and eventually starts to look like one long training session.

Becker is the main reason to see this film - he's an actor with a big future, a charming, ruggedly fine-looking presence, and even though his playing scenes are clearly doubled, we get a strong feel for the character both on and off the pitch.

Of course, we do get caught up in it all as the film surges to its astonishingly predicable conclusion, which mainly tugs at the heartstrings because this fine cast has managed to earn our sympathy. Perhaps the next two installments of this story - yes, there's a Goal 2 and 3 soon to be released! - will generate a bit more invention and creativity and finally make this franchise of Santiago's journey, a story that we can truly root for. Mike Leonard October 06.

I was really impressed by this movie. It's extremely well done, acted and shooted and in less than two hours successfully displays the full range of emotions, dreams, aspirations and problems that we can face throughout our whole lives.

The movie tells us the story of Santiago, a young mexican guy living in L.A. who has a wonderful natural talent for playing soccer.
His life seems to be like that of many unlucky immigrants, despite the efforts of his father to provide a better living thanks to hard work.
Nonetheless the chance of pursuing his own football dreams become true when he is spotted by an English gentleman who was a football talent scout years earlier. This leads to a conflict with his father, who is concerned about the risks of "dreaming" and wasting his "real" chances for obtaining a safe and honourable life, but the love for football is too strong and the young guy succeeds to leave for England and have a trial with the Newcastle United team.
Here many things happen, and a broad set of emotions and different situations are portrayed very effectively: the problems of getting used to a different environment, love, lust, illness, frienship, death, etc. but I don't want to spoil your surprise in watching this movie, so I'd stop here in describing its actual contents, you should just know that, on the brink of being unsuccesful and going back home as a loser, Santiago's inner strenght is, at end, able to turn things around and win all the adversities, making his dream come true.

A beautiful modern story, which all football/soccer fans will love but which surely deserves to be watched by anyone since its contents go far beyond football itself.
Highly recommended.

Great soccer movie for anyone that loves the game.
Very realistic. You get caught up in the passion of the fans.
An emotional story woven in the excitement of English Premier League football. Worth seeing twice, or maybe 3 times.

2 thumbs up

I first saw Kuno Becker onscreen in the film "Lucia, Lucia" where he held his own with the incomparable Cecelia Roth.
In "Goal" Becker comes into his own career-wise. He plays an illegal Mexican alien, Santiago Munez living in Los Angeles who gets the rare opportunity to try out for the Newcastle United English Football team by way of a few outlandish and not so outlandish plot machinations though the central theme of following your dreams despite whatever obstacles life or your family present to obstruct you. We've been here before but we've never been here before with the charismatic Kuno Becker.
Becker is the real reason to see "Goal" and his arrival on the international film scene is on par with that of any important actor in the last few years. What is special about Becker is his seeming lack of attitude and supposed entitlement that so many of today's crop of young actors possess.
Becker's Santiago is committed to his family, intelligent, wise, career-minded and generally a good guy. Of course, all of this can be attributed in part to the script but most of the success of this character and of this film can be placed on Becker's young shoulders. Becker imbues Santiago with a heartfelt sunny-ness and positivity that is infectious as well as emotionally open and available.
"Goal: The Dream Begins" is not an earth shaking film per se but it is a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Let's hope that Becker keeps his head screwed on tight, hires good management and continues to act in only films that he feels are important...i.e...have something to say.

Synopsis: Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) is a twenty-something Hispanic illegal (or should I say "undocumented alien") living with his Grandmother, Father and little brother in downtown Los Angeles. He works with his Father as a gardener during the day, hustles as a bus boy in a Chinese restaurant in the evening and plays soccer in the park whenever he can fit it in. Santiago is a superior player but his talent and potential seems to be taking him nowhere until he comes under the scrutiny of an ex-professional English soccer player Gavin (Alessandro Nivola). After a couple of brief encounters between the two Gavin convinces Santiago to come to England and play for United, a first division team. If Santiago can pay for his own plane faire Gavin promises the boy a try-out. As you've already guessed Santiago makes the journey and gets his big opportunity. The only question is can he perform up to expectations?

`The Goal' is an entertaining, inspiring sports film about seizing the day and having the courage to pursue one's dreams no matter what the cost. While it doesn't quite deliver the emotional impact of `Rudy' or `Miracle,' it's still well worth the watch. Kuno Becker is good-looking and likeable in the role of Santiago, you'll find yourself rooting for him in no time. I would venture to guess this movie will find a ready made audience among the Hispanic/Latino community, but the story transcends ethnic boundaries

Goal! is a well-done soccer version of the road to glory in athletics. It is a true Cinderella story that makes the impossible possible and fulfills the one in a million shot at stardom.

The soccer player, a young hispanic man in Los Angeles, gets a one-time chance to tryout for English Premier League power Newcastle. As the movie progresses, more and more people believe in the young man's dream.

His family relationships are present and well-developed in the movie as is a budding romance. We see the young player learn about the consequences of his decisions. There are enough conflicts and challenges in this movie that keep it interesting.

The soccer presented in the movie is very well-done. We see actual professional players make cameo's on and off the pitch..no headbutts, though. A few times I felt like I was watching an actual English Premier League game...there are just a few too many spin moves over the ball but they look cool.

This is a good movie with a good begining and good ending. I am glad I watched it and recommend it especially to soccer fans.

`Goal!' is part of the trilogy that will be concluded the next year, featuring the ambitious football player Santiago Munez. The likable hero is played by Mexican actor Kuno Becker who was impressive in `Lucia Lucia.' American actor Alessandro Nivola plays the role of the star player of Newcastle United Gavin Harris while from UK side Stephen Dillane, Anna Friel, and Sean Pertwee appear.

As a little boy Santiago and his family moved to Los Angles illegally from Mexico. Now a grown-up and working with his father, Santiago is also a gifted soccer player in the local team and his talent is found by one English traveler Glen Foy (Dillane). Foy leaves his card, and tells Santiago that if he wants to be a professional football player, he should come to Newcastle, England.

If I say Santiago really flies to this northeast industrial city, helped by his kind-hearted grandmother, it would not be a spoiler anyway because `Goal!' gives away where it is going from the very beginning. It treads well-known course of popular rags-to-riches story, and in spite of that formula - or because of that formula - the film works as enjoyable football version of fairy tale. Well, sort of. Of course, those who watches the football games in Europe every week would know that his success comes too easy, and these days the process of becoming a pro football player is more complicated. But I didn't hate the story.

No, what I didn't like is not that part; it is the football sequences that are not convincing enough to me. Don't get me wrong here because the film captures the atmosphere of the pitch very well. However, despite the clever choice of Newcastle, and its powerful footages of the football games and its enthusiastic fans (and they are real ones as the film wisely secured the approval from every party involved, including FIFA), the scenes where Kuno Becker plays are obviously helped by editing and special effects. Becker does his best, and I like his character and his (too) straightforward approach to it, but the gaps between his scenes and those of the real game are too conspicuous.

And there are cameos from real football players like Beckham and Zidane. It is surely amusing to see them delivering their lines rather awkwardly.

Football, or soccer, is no stranger to films, and you may remember films like John Huston-directed `Victory,' `Mean Machine,' and of course `Bend it Like Beckham' with Keira Knightley The city of Newcastle, its football team and its dedicated supporters can also be seen in `Purely Belter." But as far as I can remember, `Goal!' is the first example of a film that takes up football game itself as the theme and presents it as entertainment. It is a success, but I cannot be sure whether the second one can keep up with the expectation of the fans now eagerly watching the World Cup worldwide.

This one is a pretty typical sports movie. I'm not saying that as a bad thing--if you enjoy a sports related movie, you'll probably like this one. But it's not something you need to rush out and see.

Santiago is a Mexican kid you illegally comes to the US with his family. While playing soccer in a park he gets noticed by a former scout from England who promises to get him a tryout with Newcastle United. Of course there are obstacles for Santiago, including a lack of funds and a dad who just wants his son to give up on his dream and help him start his own lawn service company. Santiago overcomes these obstacles, as well as some the film doesn't tackle--like how does he get a passport to get into England?

If you think things are easy once he makes it to the tryout then you obviously haven't seen many sports films. Santiago has several screw ups that almost prevent him from making the team. The plot of the film is whether or not Santiago will overcome these extra obstacles (with the help of a girl and a player looking for redemption) and make it onto the field so he can triumph in a big game.

Again, you can probably figure out where this one is going in the first five minutes, but that doesn't make it a bad movie. The movie may lack originality, but it's still entertaining--especially if you follow soccer and can enjoy cameos from Zidane and Beckham.

An incredible film on faith. It teaches us to stay on track even when circumstances and voices are telling us to abort. We must always use our gifts to influence and build up those who need to go somewhere and assist them by dialoguing with others. A wonderful movie about friendship, family, mentorship and pouring out of ourselves in others. The reward is fulfillment, satisfaction and dreams manifested. In this life!

Ronald Joseph