Hooligans Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Stand Your Ground And Fight.
Stand Your Ground
Unjustly expelled from Harvard when a stash of cocaine is found in his possession, Matt (Elijah Wood) moves to London to live with his sister and her husband Steve (Marc Warren.) He is quickly introduced to Steve's chirpy, cock-sure younger brother Pete (Charlie Hunnam.) Initially, Pete is reluctant to get acquainted with Matt and allow him to tread around the capital city with him because he may be seen by others as an 'outsider', but after a heavy drinking session with him and his mates he quickly changes his opinion of him. On the way back from a football match, Matt is viciously accosted by a gang of Birmingham City thugs, until Pete and his friends step in and save him. It is from here that Matt learns the truth about Pete and his friends- they are football hooligans, operating the GSE (Green Street Elite) 'firm.' Initially afraid of the violence, Matt soon ends up becoming as desensitized to it as his new found friends- but as events roll on, suspicion, shocking revelations and unsettled scores combine to a devastating climax where London's most fierce football rivals- Millwall and West Ham United- are set to go head to head.
| David Alexander | Nigel |
| Elijah Wood | Matt Buckner |
| Charlie Hunnam | Pete Dunham |
| Claire Forlani | Shannon Dunham |
| Marc Warren | Steve Dunham |
| Leo Gregory | Bover |
| Henry Goodman | Carl Buckner |
| Geoff Bell | Tommy Hatcher |
| Andrew Blair | Announcer |
| Rafe Spall | Swill |
| Kieran Bew | Ike |
| Brendan Charleson | John Morris |
| Joel Beckett | Terry |
| Ross McCall | Dave |
| Christopher Hehir | Keith |
| Lexi Alexander |
7.40 out of 10 (3193 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Hooligans - the movie to see!
posted on 24 Aug 2009I was privileged to see this film at the Tribeca Film Festival and I was blown away! It was what I expected………and more. It had plenty of funny moments, particularly the differences between Yanks and Brits, but this film was pure drama.Now I have to warn those who haven't seen it -- yet (yes, I am hopeful it will get a distributor), it is quite violent (lots of head bashing, etc.). But I have to reiterate what Lexi said before the movie was played, that the message she was trying to convey in the film was one of anti-violence. And she did it in spades! There was no stylized violence here……pure brutal fist-a-cuffs. I have to admit it was a little hard to watch at times (especially Elijah Wood getting bruised up quite a few times), but overall it wasn't gratuitous.Elijah Wood was brilliant in this movie. He just put in another great believable performance. You can see how he gets involved with these guys (or my word for that day – intoxicated) by the Firm. The other gem here was Charlie Hunnam. He was phenomenal. His character was a punk, yes, but he also had a redeeming quality about him that I won't get into here.This film just has to get a US distribution deal! It would be a shame if it didn't. I believe US audiences deserve to see it for themselves.
Terrible
posted on 24 Aug 2009Awful, terrible, just really really bad. Anyone who thinks this film bears any vague resemblance to real life is really kidding themselves. The amount of basic inaccuracies involved in the film is laughable. The 'Cockney' accent of Pete is frankly appalling and just basic information such as the two teams shown in the match sequence (West Ham were actually playing Gillingham not 'Birmingham'). Real shame that people may come away from this film believing that this is what happens at football matches for your average fan. Football Factory seemed to me to be a much more accurate portrayal of young male culture in Britain in the 21st century. Holliganism is on the slide and this film only serves to make people believe that football fans are ignorant thugs who have very dodgy accents.Basically avoid at all costs.
Top Film
posted on 16 Aug 2009Brilliant film, The Actors The Directing Was Amazin, the best film of its genre, if u have not seen it yet it's definite must see, it is like I.D and Football Factory With a Storyline, excellent!Never thought Elijah could pull of this role but he has done with expertise and quality.hes the badger.and apart from the fairly poor cockney accent by 'Pete Dunham' the performance he showed was brilliant.I Can Keep Watchin It Over and Over Because It Is Thrilling Every time.The last fight scene is thrilling because it is so hard to predict what will happen and then when what happens actually happens it left me stunned and shocked.
a gritty film about an American ivy leaguer who gets in tight w/ his high energy British cousin in London
posted on 16 Aug 2009this is over all one of the best movies i have ever seen. it has a very "urban brave heart" feel to it. it appeals to a part of all of us and therefore is a very touching moving. we can all relate to at least one of the characters and that is what makes this movie worth watching. the "british" humor is absolutely fantastic. if anyone has spent even an hour in London they could appreciate what the American character goes through and get a laugh from it. the language is strong, but it befits the movie. the choreography is very well done and the intense fighting scenes are tasteful. i highly recommend it to anyone; especially males between the age of 18-25. it seems to be very befitting to that demographic and what they are going through. the movie is one of my top three best films, easy.
Mind-bogglingly poor !
posted on 14 Aug 2009OK, lets face facts here - the 'football hooligan' genre film is not a particularly rich seam of cinematic history.It's been attempted before, and no doubt it will be attempted again. However, on the back of this film, that won't happen for a long long time.Where do I start ? The soap-opera plot, the terrible dialog, or the even more terrible accents ? It all becomes a swirl of badness after a while. OK - some of the acting is passable, I'll give you that, but the majority is laughable ! Check out the pantomime villain who leads the evil Millwall mob (boo ! hiss !) for details.After watching this film, the first thing I asked myself was who this film was aimed at. (Not quite true - the first thing I wondered was 'How did this piece of pap get made ?'). Surely its not for the UK market (derision levels would be way too high) or the US market (who, for the most part, don't really care about football). After careful whittling, I could only come up with the idea that this film was made for people who like to look at Eliah Wood. That's it. You're not coming to this film expecting to be entertained, are you ? File this under 'Avoid like the plague'. And I sincerely hope Mr. Wood chooses his next film with more care - he is, after all, not a bad actor, but even a world-class heavyweight thespian would struggle with the diabolical dialogue in 'Green Street'.
brilliant
posted on 06 Aug 2009i thought the film was brilliant the fighting standing your ground it was the best film this year it also taught me to never back down. the only bit that i didn't like was when Pete died at the end i cried for ages. but overall it was DA best film i have seen its exciting the fighting and the way they all stuck together like pack. i also thought Pete is well fit i think that might have been the reason for me crying too. i also liked the way after what had happened with Matt like when the all found out Pete stuck for him but i didn't like the otherman who grassed them up i found that horrible but in away he made up for what he did in the end it was his fault that Pete had died if he hadn't grassed then the old major wouldn't have been glassed in the neck.
Green street goes down a one way system? But that's good!
posted on 04 Aug 2009Elijah Wood plays a "Yank" in London and gets sucked into a kind of friendship that you just do not walk into lightly. He plays the off centre role very well and is clearly a departure in character that begs Hollywood planning in not playing the nice guy after all that the public knows him for, namely Lord of the Rings. (Also seen in departure from this role in Sin City, where he shows his mettle). The cast is neatly assembled from well known, and not so well known, British actors and most give a five star performance despite a script that will draw a lot of criticism for being slightly right wing on the football hooliganism stakes. Yes, it does pro yob to a degree, yes there is a lot of violence, mostly out of shot and stylised into fast motion photography, but it works well in making you try to hide and, at the same time, face up to the supposed life of part of UK football society. (If you like this, try Football Factory - The "goodfellas" as opposed to this film being "Godfather")
Disappointing glorification of football hooliganism
posted on 27 Jul 2009Elijah Wood's two-year honeymoon period after Lord of the Rings has finally worn off. The baby-faced and huge-eyed 24-year-old returns to a lead role in this gritty study of football-related violence and really couldn't have been less suited to the role if he'd tried. He plays Matt, a young journalism student who moves to London after being expelled from Harvard. With no Gandalf to keep him on the straight and narrow, Wood falls in with a bad crowd - hooligans with a nasty hobbit of getting into booze-fuelled, adrenaline-pumping brawls after West Ham matches. As Matt moves deeper and deeper into the violent Green Street Elite, the tension builds, as other members turn against their new American comrade-in-arms.Ultimately however, despite it's potential, the film is a disappointment, a nil-nil draw. Charlie Hunman, who plays the gang's leader, has a cockney accent less convincing than Dick Van Dyke's in 'Mary Poppins' and Elijah Wood seems more suited to playing that practically perfect nanny than he is to being a blood thirsty thug. Like 'The Football Factory' before it, 'Green Street' seems to glorify, rather than condemn, mindless violence without any of the storyline or performances of Alan Clarke's 'The Firm', a much better take on working class football fanatics.
Nice tight film showing the worst of Britain
posted on 23 Jul 2009For the purist there is plenty not to like about this film, such as the police always turning up late, the easy way in which an inter city train is stopped, and the way in which people recover so quickly from brawls and hangovers.However, I have live in the area depicted for all of my life (over 50 years), and the film accurately portrays the way in which seemingly decent and well educated people can be pulled into gang warfare.Elijah Wood's performance was a revelation for me, but the British supporting cast is excellent and I hope we see a lot more of Charlie Hunnam who is on form throughout.The film is tightly directed and a must see for anyone interested in understanding one of Britain's less publicised sub cultures.
Unity for stupidity is still Unitiy.
posted on 23 Jul 2009Green Street Hooligans is a success in bringing the emotions it sets out to deliver, to the viewer. It also has a good screenplay, well written script, good casting, Hollywood style effects.. in a word - the works.I couldn't imagine myself doing anything dumber than fighting some random people for a game, for rep or whatever. Every time I see mindless violence like that, I see waste of human life, what all those young men could've become if they hadn't been brought up the way they were. In this sense, I was watching the movie with a hint of contempt.. All those big words, big deeds and unity and for what? For nothing more than a childish satisfaction of getting to be better than someone else at no matter what that something is. Then again, I've never been in a fight in my life and don't know what I'm talking about right?The movie is good and yes, you should watch it to broaden your horizons of the extent of stupidity Man can comprehend because the real situation of what is going on on the streets of UK's cities is even worse. 8/10
Cringe worthy rubbish
posted on 17 Jul 2009Saw this film last night and I can't believe that it has scored so highly on IMDb! It goes through all the old cliché's associated with films set in London. For example, all the characters prolifically use cockney rhyming slang (and then mysteriously completely abandon it half way through the film!) The fight scenes are laughable, you can see punches miss by miles only for the victim to fall to the floor accompanied by Batman the TV series sound effects. Pow! Zap! Zok! And when has a "Chelsea Smile" ever been administered with a credit card! Then there's the accents. When the West Ham crew go up to Manchester to do battle with United fans some of the Mancunians have got broad Scouse accents! Each of these small details ruins any chance of authenticity that the film has. This is a shame as the story of English football's hooligan factions, properly told, would make a great film. What we get is an extended version of EastEnders. Avoid at all costs!!
see you next Tuesday.
posted on 13 Jul 2009this film was a hilariously and unacceptably overacted caricature of hooliganism, that too often required suspension of disbelief and resorted to stereotypical and unrealistic behaviour to deal with the conflicts and themes.the actors and actresses in the film are solid and give off convincing airs until the final third when the waterworks and the screaming and the posturing went into overdrive in an orgasm of drama. despite the police presence throughout the film, they stay strangely absent when the abbey pub is burnt and smashed up and during the final fight with the millennium dome backdrop.the underlying message is ultimately a double edged sword, a positive slant on the camaraderie and siege mentality of the rowing and the lawless rivalries, while trying to present the idea that this experience may have taught Matt the strength of character to stand up for himself, but also the ability to make the right choice and to reject the battle when more important things are at stake. also, honour, trust - the whole journalist suspicion thing and the guy returning at the end to fight after telling the Millwall lot about the journalism business etc.two things about this are unfortunate. firstly, these messages are subjective in nature and have been presented in many films already, not to mention more subtly and/or effectively in many cases, and secondly, the film almost seems like an exercise in self parody at times, returning to the waterworks and the silly facials and squaring up and the rest of it. a constant supply of overacting backed by dramatic strings and stone roses and other appropriate music.i joined the film a little late when it looked very promising, but the whole set up with the drug deal seemed a little flimsy, like it was a half hearted afterthought with regards to placing an American student in a hooligan situation. Matt - Elijah - also makes an emotional exit from Stephen and his sister's home to get stuck into the hammers lifestyle in a move which is made to seem as though it is forced and necessary, when Matt just could have been clever and, you know, not gone and lived with the hooligan. also, how the sister found the battleground at the end, and why she took HER BABY WITH HER boggled the mind. she is fit though, and i've seen her in other films where her acting cannot be faulted.it must also be noted that the hatchet or whatever the Millwall firm leader was called walked into a chippy and lit up a spliff, and then smacked a guy's head into the table because his girlfriend didn't stop talking? that's overly, unnecessarily macho, in an almost Arnie kind of way that doesn't seem to fit in with the characters. and when Stephen's brother, the leader of the West Ham firm, Ben i think, dies at the end and they crowd around; it wouldn't have surprised me if one of them suddenly said in a mockingly retarded voice 'oh what a surprise that we got together for a grudge row and someone only went and died'.the themes and the unfolding storyline with the journo sideline and the rivalry between Millwall and irons firms background were all dealt with over dramatically with crisp cinematography and a rousing score, and the cracks in the hastily flung together plot were papered over with over dramatic acting and tears and seemingly an expectancy that the violence would string it together neatly and reinforce it all.to be fair the British cast paint a pretty accurate picture of a match-day for the firms and the banter is pretty accurate, until of course those histrionics i keep referring to kick in. it almost seems like a dumbed down, conveniently packaged Hollywood vision of the hooliganism issue. a character conveniently inserted into the situation in question, slices of realism to lend authenticity to the project, a load of explanations smugly delivered by the headstrong firm leader for the uninitiated viewer, and then the themes kick in, some convoluted twists thrown in over complicating things unrealistically as opposed to intelligently and interestingly due to a predictable main plot that requires such complications to prolong the viewer's interest - Stephen being the firm leader, Matt being spotted at the Times and the lads jumping to conclusions etc. - and a load of drama and full bodied dramatics from all, before a self indulgent eulogy to reinforce the tragedy and the moral, and a somewhat insipid ending - the bubbles song.in conclusion, this is a poorly thought out project and it fails to inspire for the above reasons. go watch football factory which isn't perfect but paints a more authentic and indeed compelling picture of hooliganism. this film aims for the lowest common denominator and misses, and you should miss this one if you're after plausibility, an authentic portrayal of football hooliganism and intelligent film making. and if your a hammer chav, go watch that ICF film that's coming out, and do us all a favour and sign Barton up.
Graphic, thought-provoking and worth seeing.
posted on 05 Jul 2009I was encouraged to see this film by reading some of the more effusive IMDb comments. Well, it isn't as good as they led me to believe. But I certainly don't regret seeing it.If you live in the UK you know about football hooliganism. Even if (like me) you don't go to football matches, you can't avoid it. It's a part of our culture, sadly. Football is a hugely emotional game, which large parts of society take very seriously. And - when fuelled by alcohol and a trouble-making minority - this does occasionally does spill over into violence and gang warfare.It is very very very rare - and that's an important point to make to anyone overseas who may be inclined to believe the problem is worse than it is. But it happens. And the value of a film like this is to help portray that and even perhaps understand why.The more complimentary reviewers of this film all make this point, and they are right. They are also right that the film is well-made and atmospheric. The violence is shockingly realistic without being glamourised, and we see also the camaraderie and enjoyment that attracts people to being part of such gangs in the first place. We are left at the end of the film feeling we have witnessed something that must be quite close to the true experience of being part of the world portrayed.Where the film falls down is in the performances. There are some decent actors here, but none of them are allowed to shine. It is almost as if the bleak concept of the movie discourages any enjoyment of playing their roles and so squeezes out the possibility that we can truly sympathise with any of the characters.Elijah Wood is, ultimately, miscast, quite failing to achieve any basic credibility as the naive outsider drawn into this extraordinary world. And I'm not sure what Charlie Hunnam's true-life accent is, but if he isn't capable of turning in a better version of cockney than this, then it would have been far better to allow him just to use his normal voice - or get another actor. As it is, his bizarre Dick van Dyke impression is risible and distracts attention throughout from what should be the most important single role in the film.Some may feel that is a bit harsh, and other performances do their bit to make up - notably I think Leo Gregory as Bovver, the borderline psychopath who actually manages to engage emotionally at times. But the fact that the film succeeds at all is really a credit to the script, which does shine with originality and vigour, in spite of a leaden acting style from a seemingly dispirited cast.It is a bleak film, overall. There aren't many laughs here, and London has rarely looked so joy-less on screen. But then, it's a serious subject. It deserves a serious and thought-provoking treatment. And it gets that with Green Street.Go and see it. But brace yourself.
a profound insight into the hobby of sport-obsessed England
posted on 03 Jul 2009"Green Street Hooligans" fortunately isn't a worse version of "Football Factory". Even though the subject of films is the same (football hooliganism), both movies visibly differ. In contrast to "Football Factory", "Hooligans" doesn't have a humorous bent and has a clear-cut message. Namely, the violence addiction is destructive and does not leave anybody unharmed. The film says that violence is indispensable part of every man's life and every man is, like the main character played by Elijah Wood, susceptible to it if only he has an opportunity. Matts falls deeper and deeper into the firm under Pete's influence. On the other side, the movie has a good pacing and fight scenes shot with a feeling. The acting is exceptionally good. In particular, Charlie Hunnam as an ambiguous Pete Dunham did a good job. His balance acting oscillates between practically two different characters (brutal vs caring). Major vices of this film are its predictability and that some threads are far-fetched, but still it remains a profound insight into the hobby of sport-obsessed England.
Green Street Hooligans
posted on 27 Jun 2009Great movie, loved it. Charlie Hunnam performance in this movie where really outstanding. The first thought that hit me when i where reading about this movie here on IMDb, before watching it, where that questionable option of the head character roll - Eliah Wood. Turns out i was wrong, he was great as well and performed a very believable roll.Another thing i'd like to comment about this movie is the ending, not like most movies with happy endings, but still i liked it. And there's a i'd like to quote a line from the movie which fallows something like this "See this is what happens when you stand your ground".Matt Buckner: What do you mean baseball is a girls game, there's guys that pitches a ball over 90MPH. Pete Dunham: All that means is that he can **** faster, think about it.I strongly recommend this movie for all you supporters out there.
Virtue And Violence
posted on 27 Jun 2009This remarkable film is in its very strange way a very strange one, namely: I have never seen a movie so utterly devoid ov originality. Everything here in the story, the play, the direction is simply perfectly congruent with convention. Simultaneaously, the film has it all: not one motif, one role, one theme, not one cliché of Melodrama missing. And the product is just as flawless and as perfect as this very conformity.This remarkable movie is 0% Art and 100% Craft; and, believe me, it IS a Masterpiece. I think 9/10 is the obvious evaluation here.No plot line needed; its exactly a mean destillated out of zillions other similar stories. I'll restrict myself to a brief discussion of the ethical aspect, the aestethical criticism rendered lucidly enough above.There's a peculiarly shameless quality about this film's wooing utterly primitive male and youthful instincts. Few words needed here. These thugs are heroes, no doubt about that. This is violence idealized and romanticised. It would be cheap to anathemize it from some standpoint t of "humanism" or... well, you know, conventional ideology stuff like that - but this I'm not gonna do.The film is what it is; and life is what it is, reality is what it is, and people are what they are, wherever we like it or not. I prefer suspending the ethical perspective altogether. This is a great film.BUT: don't let yourself be carried away by it. Keep distance, stay detached, see it, reflect on it in authentically personal integrity and autonomy, and evaluate it for what it really is; and you will have a great time of cinema and entertainment, and understanding as well, believe me, I can guarantee that.
Very disappointing
posted on 25 Jun 2009Having heard the advert on the radio and looking up reviews on the net saying how great this film was , I decided I had to see this film. Having watched the film I must say that this was without doubt the worst film I had ever seen in my life for so many reasons. Being a South Londoner myself I couldn't believe the rubbish attempts to put on a London accent and also some of the rhyming slang that was used was pathetic , some of the slang that they used is only ever used by middle class kids who are trying to be something they are not. Anyone that knows football hooligans and seen the violence and been in their company know that these "hooligans" were too soft and some were too young.All that singing and standing on tables and throwing beer everywhere in their pub would never happen , not in their pub.Also when he said they hate journalists that could not be further from the truth as they love and crave the attention and headlines. All in all I just cringed all the way through the film.
what a great movie
posted on 25 Jun 2009I watched HOOLIGANS and I thought it was the greatest one i'd watch for long.. I guess since LORDS OF DOGTOWN. I'm french and to improve my English, I watch a same movie many times, so, when I found a so huge one as this, I could look at all the details, about persona, accent, vocabulary or slang.. whatever else! It's some of good times for me, and movies like HOOLIGANS are my whole pleasure.. and finally, Charlie Hunnam is so HOT ! I totally fall in love ! his face, his smile.. his body.. stop it, it's too much for me ! huh ! I'm nothing but a girl !! You know what I mean ! ! ! So, don't have any hesitation to watch it, It's definitely one of the best movie of the year !!
Flashy, fast and entertaining but a slower, more neo-realistic approach would've been better.
posted on 19 Jun 2009Although tempting to make this an out and out comparison to similar film 'The Football Factory', I'll try to refrain from doing so and I don't believe it would be fair. Many people say this is better than The Football Factory but I, personally, disagree although Green Street is a good film in its own right.I liked the way the clash of cultures is used to good effect through humour on both heroes' sides. The English football fan who is already used to their world in which they live in compared to the nervous, more academic American who refers to it as soccer more often than not is an early treat and both actors exchange clever quotes and bounce off each other early on. Wood's character acts as a 'fish out of water' as everything is totally new to him; just as Hunnam's character would be if he was brushing shoulders with Harvard graduates. This fish out of water path suits Elijah Wood as we already know, given the success of the Lord of the Rings films, he can pull off this type of character and role.What's good about the film is that we actually get to see some football. This puts us right in the film early on and if you've been to football matches and seen the types of people who also go, like I have, it adds to the experience in an effective way. The film also deals with little, miniscule things at a time; cooking it all up in a boiling pot at correct and entertaining moments. These things include having to face a trip to an away match, the jealousy between the friends of the gang, the reunion with a character's parent and the FA Cup draw which sets the scene for the film's finale (similar to The Football Factory).Because the film covers more ground than The Football Factory, it seems like a better film but I don't feel the same way. Green Street isn't neo-realistic enough. The edits are too fast, the dialogue a little too sharp and it branches away from the fish out of water/West Ham supporters' story into the Millwall fan who lost his son and the character with the American wife. With The Football Factory, the character of Tommy Johnson was already used to the way of life he lived. Here, Matt Buckner (Wood) needs to get introduced to it, he needs to feel it out first and this is what makes me, at least, not want to watch it a second time in too quick-a fashion. The Football Factory was already established and got stuck in from the start which made it more entertaining.Despite feeling like an actual Hollywood film with a plot, characters, twists, etc; Green Street is an entertaining plod into the world of football hooliganism that has all the usual emotion, good acting and fast (if not too fast for a film of this subject) talking characters. You'll also probably be interested to know that this was directed by a woman.
Gritty, violent, stylish, poor lead accent and slightly weak opening performance from Wood
posted on 30 Aug 2009Gritty, violent, stylish, but in no way does it glorify the lifestyle. The bad is shown to so heavily outweigh the good, and when people fight they get hurt. There's not that much good to be seen in the movie, but it is a very good movie, and I would think something which captures the feelings and beliefs of these groups of people very well.The opening fight scene is pretty harsh, and I have to say the only "enjoyable" fight scene of the film. Now by enjoyable, I mean in a Hollywood entertainment sense, because the violence in this movie is so real, you don't want to think that it fits the standard Hollywood template of violence and glorify it in anyway, however this scene does slightly, and perhaps to grab the audience because hereafter you'll be shocked and uneasy.The second fight scene of the movie deserves pointing out as well, because it combines some great filming effects and camera work to provide a different look to a scene shot so many times before. It's hand-held and close up, and these things are not my particular favourite in Hollywood fight scenes, because you miss so much you have to end up guessing what's happening, I wish they'd look more to Asian movie makers on how to do this right. However the style in this scene comes through with the use of a couple of effects which make the whole fight seem quite surreal, perhaps how the main character views it. It really gave some excitement and confusion to the scene, yet keeping the feeling of violence very real, and very nasty.Now, onto perhaps two of the most controversial parts of the movie, and no, I've already talked about the fighting and that's not one of them. Firstly the casting of Elijah Wood as the American who discovers this world of Football Firms. Many people are saying that he just doesn't suit the movie, that he's totally out of place, well I agree but only to a point. Yes, for most of the film he's out of place, his laughing moments seem awkward, like those moments when you tell a joke and your foreign friend doesn't catch it but laughs anyway because everyone else does. You see, I think perhaps he is supposed to be looking totally out of place and awkward here, I mean he's come from Harvard and is a Journalist, why would that make him feel easy in amongst UK organised Football Hooligans? He has redemption though, in the final act of the film he faces a tough decision, and I really do believe it's from this point on that he comes into his element and gives a very good performance. Still, there is that stigma associated with his most famous role to date, and it's very prominent here. The "fish out of water" style and awkwardness is also easily taken as bad acting, that said I could be wrong and it could actually be bad acting! The second controversial part of the movie is something that perhaps only people in the UK will grab, Charlie Hunnam's accent. His cockney accent is pretty bad, there are moments when he settles into it, but there is a distinct feeling that he's over pronunciation much of what he's saying, particularly the Cockney inflections.However, putting the accent to the side his performance is really good and very convincing, when you see him give an order, take control of a situation or in the midst of a fight, you believe who he is 100%. Without a doubt he appears strong and single minded, and a very violent character.Yet for me, it's Leo Gregory that steals the screen. His performance as Bover is totally immersive and you're drawn to him on screen. If I remember Lexi Alexander, the Director and Writer, introduced him at the Q&A after the EIFF premiere as the UK's answer to Sean Penn, and you can see why. He has all those qualities that draw you to Penn. Let's hope he's recognised for it.Both Marc Warren and Claire Forlani are just as convincing and give strong performances, I've always liked Warren as an actor and Forlani is a new find for me. These two have a good chemistry, although not all that you'd expect from a married couple, Forlani gives an emotional performance.Geoff Bell as Hatcher, the leader of the Millwall Firm, is a true psycho. Totally broken and void of the understanding of morales, you can see he's consumed by complete hatred and anger. He just seemed such a real character and a truly scary man! The ideas of retribution, morales and karma are very strong throughout this movie. It's an example of how good the script is when you can understand the allure of the Firm for the character of Buckner, as well as see and understand the bonding between the members. It does a lot for the audience to help them understand the reasoning behind it all, and this is where I think the controversy for Hollywood lies. These are the parts that can be viewed as portraying a positive light on the Football Firms rather than the actual fighting, and it's not hard to see that. Yet I do think it's balanced by the retribution and karmic endings shown.Overall a strong movie, although Wood's casting is very unusual and seems quite awkward during the first two acts of the film, coupled with the poor accent of the lead Englishman and there lie the negative aspects. The story, portrayal of the Firms and the violence itself all give for a strong and hard hitting movie, although perhaps more attractive to a British audience.