The Football Factory Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
What else you gonna do on a Saturday?
The Football Factory is more than just a study of the English obsession with football violence, its about men looking for armies to join, wars to fight and places to belong. A forgotten culture of Anglo Saxon males fed up with being told they're not good enough and using thier fists as a drug they describe as being more potent than sex and drugs put together. Shot in documentery style with the energy and vibrancy of handheld, The Football Factory is frightingly real yet full of painful humour as the four characters extreme thoughts and actions unfold before us.
| Danny Dyer | Tommy Johnson |
| Frank Harper | Billy Bright |
| Tamer Hassan | Fred |
| Roland Manookian | Zeberdee |
| Neil Maskell | Rod |
| Dudley Sutton | Bill Farrell |
| Jamie Foreman | Cabbie |
| Tony Denham | Harris |
| Calum McNab | Raff |
| John Junkin | Albert Moss |
| Sophie Linfield | Tamara |
| Kara Tointon | Shie |
| Michele Hallak | Shian |
| Daniel Naylor | Terry |
| Alison Egan | Barbara |
| Nick Love |
6.70 out of 10 (5759 votes)
Visitor Reviews
About as realistic as Evertons European success chances
posted on 01 Jul 2009I sat down with a few cans of Stella to watch this film on DVD. By the end i was as bored as i could ever be. I'm a football fan of many years and have seen my fair share of 'real' violence outside and inside grounds in my time. With this experience i can honestly say the film is as unrealistic as they come. Football violence nowadays is usually restricted to stick throwing and girl slapping amongst 'men'. The film trys to paint hooligans as having a great laddish lifestyle, fast cars, fast fists and fast girls. The hooligans i've known in my time don't fit this bill, so i suggest the film is more based around drunken fools who get into scraps rather than hooligans.The film never convinced me it was going anywhere. It reminded me of any anti-social behaviour based film, but happened to be loosely associated with football. The characters were weak and poorly acted. The storyline was as weak as the tea at Swansea City and the ending was up there with Guesthouse Paradiso fighting for the award of "rubbish ending of all time".If you want to see football violence then go back to the years when it was really around (Nowadays it's just drunken girl slapping) so try watching ID. That's not a fantastic film but it's much better than this rubbish. (2/10)
This is our sandbox, not yours
posted on 05 Jun 2009Tommy Johnson is a Londoner in his late twenties, whose only attribute is that he likes fighting. Well, OK, he also likes alcohol and sex, but then who doesn't? The Football Factory follows Tommy's adventures with a hooligan firm that supports the Chelsea football club. Most of the time Tommy and his friends (or, as the vaguely sexual term used by these people goes, "mates") are high and drunk or either high, drunk and getting their @sses kicked by the fans of rival football teams. I watched this film and "Withnail & I" within a few days of each other. The conclusion: it sucks to be a man in England. Your choices are to be alcoholic and violent, or alcoholic and homosexual. Pity them, but fear them also.
shocking realism
posted on 30 Apr 2009Whoa! After having watched it last evening, quite breathless most of the time, I can easily feel the aftertaste in my head and surely hope that it's gonna stay there for a while. Yes, I loved it! It grips you from the first second during the titles, they are disturbing, chaotic and aggressive...like most of the film. The atmosphere during it has a sense of something creeping behind your back all of the time. Especially as we know from the first minute what will happen to the main character and can see how it unfolds little by little. The violence which is quite brutal does well to keep you 100% focused as it is so shockingly real, mostly due to the film-making itself (actors, cinematography, sound and music).I myself from Iceland not deep in the hooligan culture interpreted this film however more as a semi-true story than a fiction, as I have seen the incredible documentary about the news-reporter who went into the inner circle of the Chelsea-headhunters. So the film was extra shocking due to this, I could not go...it's simply a movie. It felt real.p.s. also recommend I.D. for those interested in the hooligan genre. Robert Carlyle as a undercover news-reporter gone on a hooli-day :)
A serious film about football fans
posted on 29 Mar 2009Well, the title of the film is indirect. You won't see a number one sport in the world - football in this movie. This film is about football fans. Strictly speaking, about their passion of fighting. It's their lifestyle. The fighting between football fans is nitty - gritty and the sport is in the second place. You won't see fans just watching the football match... No, you'll see only aggression, blood, drugs and fights. On the other hand, there were some funny scenes in the movie. The fans liked to play a trick on each other. Moreover, the acting was quite good and realistic. The rate of the movie is a bit fast and there are many dialogues, so this is not a movie for a relaxation... I recommend this film not only for people who like this wonderful sport. This film is about the life and the struggle for it...
Decent working of Football Factory
posted on 17 Feb 2009I've been a fan of John King's Football Factory trilogy for many years, following the exploits of Tommy, mark et al and wondered how they'd translate the episodic nature of the lives in a year of the many characters. I was pleased with the result. What could have been a sprawling, lost attempt to translate the book, has turned out a focussed interpretation of the essence of Football Factory. Set over a few weeks in the run up to Milwall v Chelsea in the FA Cup, we look at the lives of the central characters, the drinking, the drugs and casual violence with a relatively sympathetic view of the lives of a number what are currently termed 'chavs' in south west London. Fantastically paced with a storming soundtrack, this film is well worth checking out. My only minor criticism is the disassociation of these characters with football itself, which rather implies that anyone who enjoys the violence isn't a 'real' football fan, which i think unlikely, but hey, don't let that stop you.
A rush of blood to the head which blows it right off, fantastic film
posted on 16 Jan 2009A rush of blood to the head? Coldplay didn¹t know what they were singing about, Chris Martin should watch The Football Factory for the ultimate in head blowing, jaw clenching, white knuckle ride of a film. This film has all the elements to make up a night of riveting viewing, from though provoking characters, witty dialogue to energized music to watch boys batter each other.To begin there¹s Tommy, fast approaching 30 and not a clue what to do with his sad little life, only thing he¹s clinging onto is the next big meet and Billy Bright the foul mouthed, bad tempered geezer who lost the ability to engage his brain a long time ago, he¹s only comfortable using his fists. Rod who does a stellar performance in a restaurant, acts as a perfect side kick to Tommy, Bill Farrell the perfect gentleman from a bygone era and Harris the mean-faced leader who could have Vinnie Jones for breakfast, plays the distant yet commanding leader.But I like the young kid who plays Zebberdee, a scaly living like vermin in the depths of South London, this is all credit to the acting as it must be difficult to play someone who is so detrimental to society and has very little redeeming features. Credit must be given to all the actors as they all deliver stellar performances in what must be the most unglamorous locations. There isn¹t one performance I would say was weak as they all hold the audiences attention and gage us into what they are doing and saying. the violence and fashion is very realistic.To sum up, the hooligans are like scabs of society, a group of people we all want to forget about when we¹re tucked into our little Semis but know they exist living uncomfortably alongside us. the film was more than just football, its about loyalty, a sense of belonging a family in this dysfunctional place we live in. this film speaks to all of us dissatisfied youths living in la la land fast approaching 30 or even 40, looking for a parallel life where we are richer, better looking and have the intellect of Hawkins. Football Factory deserves to be a massive hit, not just for the excellent acting, or the brilliant dialogue or the thumping soundtrack but because the film is of our time revealing the layers, which make up Blair¹s Britain where friendships are everything.
get a beer to put on your black eye
posted on 01 Dec 2008--- i had the pleasure of seeing this film the same week I saw 'Once We Were Warriors'--- which nearly topped the day I saw 'Deliverance' and 'Straw Dogs'--- fortunately this film is the only one without a rape scene among the ones mentioned. Brutal and thuggish ---reminicent of 'Basketball Diaries'--- this movie has nothing to do with football. The only time you see football being played is when it is in the background of a verbal leading to fist fight. This movie confirms my belief that the U.K. is still far from the gun violence of the U.S. I outright laughed when one of the characters brought a starter pistol to a giant mob fight--- what a wuss. The indefatigable nature of many of the characters impressed me--- non-stop trouble making. The film worked pretty well capturing the action--- fairly straightforward and narrative. There is also a great scene of one of the main character's grandfather smoking a fatty---- end.
what a great film
posted on 19 Nov 2008this is one of the best British films i have ever seen from start to finish you get a feel of what its like to be part of the football life it is very gritty and you feel like you are right there with them i have been involved in and around the things that happen in this film and it is a lot more real that that rubbish "green street" the film has some very funny points to it as well. i saw some where that they were going to have someone else instead of Danny Dyer don't think it would have worked as well if they had best British actor by far a pleasure to watch his work every time if you are to watch one film let it be this one ten out of ten for me thanks a lot pricey
The Beautiful Game? Do me a lemon!
posted on 11 Nov 2008I'm ashamed to say that I found The Football Factory to be perversely enjoyable, despite the fact that it depicts England's worst ever contribution to world culture - Football hooliganism.The film follows a group of Chelsea fans who for some strange and as yet unexplained reason, take sadistic glee by going around and beating seven bells of s*** out of rival football supporters just for jollies. Personally I like to watch the football, munch a steak pie (or two) at half time, neck a few (or more) beers and then sod off home.Football hooliganism was the cancer of Britain's inner cities throughout the 1980's, and was solely responsible for the total expulsion of ALL English football clubs from European competition for a number of seasons. In fact, I froth with rabid anger even today when I think of Coventry City's historic FA cup win in 1987, which would of allowed us, (and for the FIRST time may I add), to participate in the following season's 'Cup Winner's Cup' tournament, HAD WE NOT BEEN BANNED FROM IT! As the 80's gave way to the 90's, hooliganism started to decline and English teams were allowed back onto the European stage. However, the new millennium has seen a new dawn in football related violence and sadly, the cancer we all thought was in remission is back, and it is this re-emergence, that The Football Factory uncompromisingly addresses.Sadly, there are too many British film directors today, who are happy to churn out movies that contain a severe pornography of violence, drug abuse and potty mouthed profanity. The Football Factory has all three in very large and very obscene portions. It's violence is unparallelled, it contains more white powder than a talc factory and MUST hold the record for the amount of C word's used in a fictional motion picture, and I'm not referring to the word CHELSEA if you know what I mean.Director Nick Love rekindles his love affair with urban London, ala 'Goodbye Charlie Bright' and entices a fantastic and believable performance out of Danny Dyer, because those of us who actually come from British Inner Cities will ALL know, or have known, a Tommy Johnson at one time or another. However, the accolade for best performance is reserved for Frank Harper as the psychotic Billy Bright. I thought Harper was absolutely fantastic as Michael Caine's tough bodyguard Stoney in 'Shiner', but his performance as Billy Bright makes Stoney look like a ladies hairdresser in comparison, to the point that if I saw Billy Bright walking down the street I would literally s*** myself.Is it one for the family?, definitely not. Does it glorify Football violence?, maybe. Is it a great movie?, abso-bloody-lutely.However, One day I would love to see one of these gritty urban movies made somewhere other than London, as I am now convinced that most British filmmakers think that there is nothing north of Watford Gap.Enjoy.
Blows the cobwebs away
posted on 02 Oct 2008Adapted from John King's novel, The Football Factory is a vibrant synthesis of Snatch, Trainspotting and that episode of Grange Hill where the boys organised a fight with another school. The story concentrates on three members of the infamous Chelsea Headhunter's 'firm', who use their team's matches as an excuse to brawl with rival pseudo-supporters; narrator and stereotypical twenty-something lad Tommy, dimwitted hardman Billy and repugnant rat-boy Zebedee (so-called because he likes 'white powder').Although Tommy enjoys the adrenaline-rush of fighting, he is plagued by visions of a serious beating and starts to question whether the lifestyle is 'worth it'. Along with friend Rod, he has inadvertently upset several Millwall fans, just when the FC Cup has pitched their two teams, and thus firms, against each other.All the staples of British cinema are evident; the insightful voice-over, pumping Britpop soundtrack and defiance of social-conformity (jobs and girlfriends are for losers, etc). Token comedy interludes are provided by two drug-addicted pensioners and a hilariously blinkered, Hoxton-like portrayal of Liverpool (apparently just a deserted wasteland, consisting of five scallies and a burned-out car).The hooligans are portrayed as surprisingly intelligent, misunderstood people, embodying the brave, noble spirit of St. George and disillusioned by a dystopia society that doesn't understand them; which may be somewhat difficult to accept if you've ever spent a train-journey desperately trying to avoid eye-contact with drunken 'casuals'. Otherwise the film is gleeful exploitation and extends two-fingers to any expected moral allegories.Director Nick Love's stylish cinematography and the young cast's accurate, energetic performances are sufficient to transcend the dated subject-matter. The Football Factory is an undemanding 90-minutes that blows the cobwebs away.
Achieves most of it's goals but pays the penalties with it's flaws
posted on 30 Sep 2008STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsTommy Johnson (Danny Dyer) is a football hooligan who's approaching 30.As he looks around and sees the lives of those around him deteriorating,he begins to look at his own life and how the wrong choices he is making will come to have a devastating impact on it.This film has the intriguing matter of football hooliganism attached to it's concept,a subject not explored since 1995's I.D. and probably released with particular relevance payed to the Euro 2004 build up.Were it a morally repugnant film,with intense concentration payed on glamorization on this most detestable of 'national pastimes',then it's release would be in very bad taste.As it is,Nick Love's film is an excessive one but one that is never really gratuitous in any way.One of the ways it does this is by portraying it's central protagonist as a real person,and not the hopeless caricature he so easily could have been.We are presented with no reason to believe,for instance,that when Tommy is not attending football matches,he is anything less than a decent,respectable young man,with a decent morals/values system.But when he is attending,we are presented with the nefarious activities he and his friends engage in as some sort of mental drug,providing an adrenaline rush unlike anything else.It is shocking to see how someone so generally mild-mannered and unassuming can suddenly throw his conscience aside so easily,and equally shocking to think that there must be hundreds of men like Tommy in the UK.If this film has no other good points (and don't worry,it has) it has made me a bit more informed.I used to regard all football hooligans as particularly despicable people (and to a huge extent I still do) but this film has made me more aware of the fact that not all of them may be completely beyond redemption and perhaps just in need of some professional help.Because the film is portraying all it's characters in a manner that could be easily perceived as realistic,it also makes all the excessive and rather shocking amount of bad language going on more tolerable and ungratuitous.Like the vast majority of British films (modern British films,anyway) the soundtrack is spot on (I'll probably go out and buy the LP pretty soon) and there is an absorbing visual style to compliment it.There are also some genuinely funny moments to be enjoyed that certainly weren't expected and actually make the experience an even more satisfying one.The Football Factory is a film that is never uninvolving in any way,and considering the lack of discernible plot line,that's even better.****
football supporter's or not?
posted on 16 Sep 2008You hear tommy Johnson say on the narration that him and Ron have been going to see Chelsea since they wee children but you never know if they go to the games in the film. I would like to know if they fight during after or before the game because they definitely fight on match day. Also were you a little let down by the end fight. they build it up well but the police come straight away and spoil it, I just felt it could have been a little bit longer and more bloody fighting.Also you never see the 'hard Man' brighty even punch someone in the face apart from his hard attitude there wasn't a lot of follow though.any comments welcome
fantastic factory
posted on 10 Sep 2008I thought this movie was awesome. Its basically summed it up really, go out and get a copy if you haven't done so already. If you look at it and all you've seen is blood and violence and it puts you off then i say you should look past that. This movie has a much deeper meaning than just the unnecessary violence. The movie is told through the eyes of Tommy Johnson, a sound geezer who loves to beat people up on a Saturday, but throughout he is trying to find meanings and answers to his actions which take him on more journeys in the movie. Yes, this movie does tend to glamorise hooliganism, with no holds to its violence and in no way does it try to demoralise it other than showing you the damage conflicted to others, but it is what may even be referred to as a 'cult' classic, Nick Love has dared to go where no other directors have gone before and produced a masterpiece balancing the best of the authentic fights to the deeper more passionate story lines. This is Englands worst nightmare? No, its Englands misunderstood dream.
One toxic movie
posted on 25 Aug 2008I'm usually pretty critical when people come over to me and say some movie is great. Usually they turn out to be great disappointments because of my crooked taste in movies. My friends ranked this movie really high and that made me even more doubtful. But I was wrong. This was THE movie for me. Ever since I bought Football factory on DVD and watched it over and over again I keep asking my self what it is that makes me wanna see it all over again. I've tried to analyze my obsession with this movie but just can't come to a conclusion. There is something about this movie, that I've never seen before. It's the feeling you get when you watch it, and trust me when I say that I'm not a psycho who admires drugs, alcohol and violence. It's something much deeper. Nick Love showed the whole world what it means to be a fan. The type of sport you like, or the success of your team doesn't matter when it comes to pure cheering. It's about belonging somewhere and standing on your buddies side on good- and bad times. Instead of "me" it now is "we". If you are not a fan of a sport team, like me, you wont see the same in this movie as I do. But watching this movie reminds me of all those times with my mates on some home- or away game. Every time you got yourself into trouble there was always someone standing on your side even if it was you who did wrong. Having your buddies on your side makes you feel so strong, like you could take over the world if you'd want to. This movie shows the other side of being a fan, that side no one talks about aloud, but still everyone is thinking about it. It's just so much more than singing some crappy songs and getting really drunk. It's simply said about belonging somewhere. To believe in something. To have something to stand for. When you loose you loose together and when you win you win together and man that feeling is great. The best thing about this movie is absolutely the characters, who it's so easy to relate to. they are just normal people who do normal stuff on the weeks. This movie continually makes me miss my mates, and I guess that is the poison in this movie that I'm addicted to. The fighting is all just bonus, who wouldn't love some action? Even in this case you have to remember, that the fighting and everything including it is not the heart of this movie. It's not about the violence, that is just something you had to add there. Football hooliganism is surely a huge theme in this movie, Love shows that it's just a way of life. And if you can close your eyes to the violence you will find this movie superb. With all the confusion in the main characters head and mind makes this movie also a noteworthy drama. Then again, the acting in this movie is so beautiful to watch. It's so real and natural and the talented actors really showed what they are getting payed for. The dialogs are smart, easy to quote, sounds good and not too exaggerated. The language used is ruff and ugly, but real and the same used on the streets. No matter how weird it will sound saying this loud, I have to say it. Nick Love made art of fighting. Football factory is definitely one of the greatest movies I've ever seen and it would surely be a sin to vote this movie anything else than excellent.
Questionable message aside an enjoyable film
posted on 03 Aug 2008The football factory is not a great film. It is however like most of Nick Loves films really enjoyable in a guilty pleasure kind of way. In its themes off male enjoyment of violence it recalls fight club and the fight sequences carry the same punch in the same impact as the infamous "angel-face" sequence in fight club. The film making style owes more to Guy Ritchie however. The films message is questionable , though it makes some points against holiganism it comes to no conclusion. Some may argue it glorifies its characters actions , however none could argue it doesn't glorify its characters. This leaves a bitter taste in the viewers mouth. However aside from that it is great . It features a typically great performance from Dannie "the next Ray Winstone" Dyer, an excellent soundtrack (a Nick Love trademark) with great use of yob anthem "going underground" as well as more contemporary tracks and surprises like Mogwais atmospheric "hunted by a freak". Its funny, violent and undeniably entertaining.
fighting drugs sex booze and swearing! - what else do ya need?
posted on 16 Jul 2008This film is absolutely hilarious. And violent. And profane. And loaded with drugs, thieving and general anti-social behavior. If you don't like any of those then steer well clear of this film. Having said that this film is also important. It highlights the amount of hooliganism on the streets of England today. And what it leads to. Its not a majorly flashy film - i think the flashiest camera angles are through cctv points of view, and it didn't have the highest budget. But it is brilliant. Danny Dyer does a great job of showing us his characters position and what he does about it. frank Harper is just a complete lunatic. The rest of the cast are top notch and do the film and storyline justice. And seeing this is adapted from a book by John King it stays true pretty well, and I've read the book so id know. To be honest the best time to watch this is with a bunch o mates and a few beers. Enjoy.
great film
posted on 30 Jun 2008this film was excellent to view some bad acting bits but well we are a small island but shows a bit of true London life and basically what most young men would like to do on a Saturday loved the cricket bat story line London really is that small, never cross the water .....Jog on, if you do not live in London you might need a translator for some of the words not many that most of London already knows but the back lash [Neil Maskell] .... Rod gives the yuppies in the trendy bar might need to be explained to most northerners.through out the film you will defiantly be saying I know him what's he out of, a lot of uk faces so makes a change to see some of these actors on the big screen so to speak as most are from our regular t.v viewing Great film will be looking out for it on DVD in the future
Lazy
posted on 22 Jun 2008What a disappointing flick. When so many sorely underrated flicks have already addressed such amammoth problem in British society (The Firm and the sadly little seen I.D to name just two), Nick Love's film is sadly rendered completely redundant before it even had a chance. And that is before the film even puts its first foot wrong, which it does very, very early. This is a juvenile, simplistic film, sloppily directed. Whilst the majority of the acting must be commended (Manookian in particular works brilliantly withlittle to no material), the rest of this flick stood impotent and misjudged for its entirety. A big shame really, because Nick Love's debut "Goodbye Charlie Bright"showed such immense promise. At the end of the day, there is only one word to judge this film by; lazy. At times if felt like an amateur music video, with pop songs appearing on the soundtrackevery minute, alongside stilted, boring visuals. A disappointment.
The Football Factory VS GreenStreet plus Josh Wright
posted on 13 Apr 2008Arite i like the football factory but i think greenstreet is well better and i would recommend Greenstreet rather than the football factory. Greenstreet has more action to it. But the football factory gets boring after awhile but Greenstreet there's always something new away to happen.EVERYONE BUY GREENSTREET ITS A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY MY M8 IS SELLING DRANDRUFF VIDEOS. HIS E-MAIL IS dork182@hotmail.co.uk
Come and have a go...
posted on 09 Jul 2009At long last a decent film about one of the most misunderstood sub cultures of recent times...the football hooligan.The film follows four Chelsea headhunters as they endeavour to maintain their status as the number one firm in England (they were not ever number 1 by they way) the ultimate climax to the film is a meeting with Millwall which i have to admit is executed with stark realism - the sense of anticipation, the bouncing around, the shouting which all carries on for a few minutes before anyone is actually game enough to get stuck in first. There is all the usuall moral and anti-social questions in amongst a fairly simplistic narrative that follows a slightly awkward direction at times. I also got confused as to where some elements of the sub-plot was actually going.All in all it's a treat for all you old school out there that now have mortgages and kids and look back on these times with myth and fondness. For all those who were never involved or understood the whole scene it's still a total blast to watch.Come ahead you townies.......SF