The Damned United (M) 
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Brian Clough (who died in 2004) was, according to this absorbing biopic, the best manager the England football team never had.
It focuses primarily on his disastrous 44-day tenure at Leeds United in 1974, when Clough (Michael Sheen) took over from much-loved manager Don Revie (Colm Meaney) when Revie became England's manager.
Leeds were champions under Revie, but Clough hated his style of play, calling the players thugs and cheaters. He wanted them to win by playing with flair and finesse. They resisted.
Writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, Last King of Scotland, Frost/Nixon) uses flashbacks to chart Clough's rise as a manager – he also played for England – from 1968 with Derby County (after Leeds, Clough took Nottingham Forest to consecutive European Cup titles).
Besides his obsession with Revie, the film highlights his crucial relationship with his loyal assistant, Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall), and contemptuous run-ins with Derby's chairman (Jim Broadbent). This isn't just a movie for football fans but a drama ultimately about ego, prestige and power.
- Reviewed by David Manning. DVDs for review supplied by United Video, Nelson.
- © Fairfax NZ News
