Customer Reviews

The Match [Region 2]

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

 

 

This video has just been released in the U.S. and is very hard to find. (I think Amazon may be the only source!). It has been available in the U.K. for a couple of years. Produced by Pierce Brosnan's Irish Dreamtime, the plot focuses on a "football" (soccer in the U.S.) match that will determine the fate of a Scottish town's pub. I enjoyed watching the main characters overcome physical and psychological issues. Although I didn't find the video "raucously funny", I did laugh several times. It's too bad the video is so expensive. I was afraid it would not be available for very long so I paid full price. It was worth it.

Luckily, I caught this on cable, since 1)I'd never pay the current price of a new video & 2)I'd never pay the current price of a used video, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Semi-whacky, semi-touching, all the Scots accents (and attempts at Scots accents) made me want to watch the family dinner scenes of "So I Married An Axe Murderer" again. What happened to Scottish films? In the early-mid 80's they were very happening, but after exploding on the scene with "Local Hero", "Letter To Brezhnev", & "Gregory's Girl", but except for a quick teaser with "Trainspotting", Scotland seems to have concentrated their collective energy on things such as forming an independent parliament, rather than focusing on important things, like film. Time to prioritize, but until they do, efforts like this are good. Richard E. Grant is in his smarmy persona here, & I enjoyed him nearly as much as in How to Get Ahead In Advertising

This is one of the most charming "little" movies I've seen since "Local Hero." The gist is the only two pubs in a small Scottish town have played a local game of soccer for the past 99 years, with Benny's always losing. (It's the pub of choice for lovable losers, including the taciturn ex-professional footballer who doesn't socialize.)

On the occasion of the 100th game, the loser must hand over his pub to the winner, and then there'll be just one pub in town and a lot of barred people. I won't say any more to spoil the fun, but everyone's perfectly cast in this delightful movie.

The Match is an experience that will leave you laughing and thoughtful. If you liked the humor of the Full Monte you will love this lighthearted, touching movie. You will be drawn to the characters of the towns folk as they remind us all of what's really important in life....family and friends....tradition and committment....losses and forgiveness....relationships and communication...how to have fun and remember not to take yourself too seriously. I loved the movie enough to buy it...something I rarely do!

"The Match" made us laugh, cry, get up and dance and we were all screaming along with the movie, it was a real treat to watch.

You've seen this movie any number of times before. Be it as "The Bad News Bears," or "The Mighty Ducks" or "Rocky," you know what has to happen. So it's not the destination you're after, it's the trip itself.

Here's the scoop. In a small Scottish town there is a 100 year old bet between two pubs. Benny's has lost the last 99 soccer matches. If they lose this 100th match they forfeit their keys to the sleazy Gorgeous Gus who owns the competing L'Bistro. There are other sub plots but this is the main thrust.

This is a nifty indy flick with a good cast and a good heart. The town is full of a lot of oddball characters and baggage. The lead character, Wullie, still suffers under the death of his brother and he hides behind a leg brace he no longer needs. He pines away for Rosemary, a girl he's loved most of his life but feels unable to approach. A dairy owner who loves his cow. An American ex-patriot (Tom Sizmore) whose wife left him so he hides at the bottom of a bottle. And on, and on, and on. Again, not new but you like these people and have reason to root for them. You know it will all come down to the big match. You just want to know how it will all turn out.

The cast is good with a lot of recognizable names and faces. The musical score and soundtrack are very cool, mixing both hit tunes from the 60s and 70s with a written score sporting a Scottish flavor. Some of the story elements are a bit too cliche and there was a need to tie off, unnecessarily, even the smaller, throw away aspects of the script. That being said, this is still a fun watch. It won't take you anywhere new, but you'll have fun getting there.

I really like this movie, yes it's a bit on the lightweight side. But it has some really great moments and lines. If you liked The Full Monte and Father Ted (yes, I know Father Ted is set in Ireland and The Match is in Scotland) but if you like that quirky sort of humor, then you'll like The Match.

This story of the yearly match between two rival pub owners and their patrons which is to be played for the last time with winner taking all(i.e., the other pub) is not a new concept, certainly, but in this rendition it comes off as a pleasant, well acted , not-all-that-funny comedy. Most of the actors have been put to better use elsewhere (Richard Grant, Tom Sizemore)but they all do a respectable job in this. The biggest problem is that the movie is strung on a pretty thin premise and seems to go on a bit too long before the predictable denoument. I found myself comparing it unfavorably with "Waking Ned Divine", which had something of the same feel about it but was lots more interesting and lots funnier.