ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Kris McCarthy I have watched football (here we call it soccer) and know the passion other countries have for the sport. I know how people bond as well as become bitter enemies over teams. So this movie had to be made very carefully to show respect for a horrible tragedy that befell upon Manchester United that fateful night. I think, in my opinion, that it did just that. it was well made and well performed. Showing the proper emotion and heartbreak of the time. Not to mention the will and strong spirit of the fans, team and support staff. Unfortunately it takes a tragedy to bring people together it seems. This movie is right up there with the other sport greats for an inspirational, motivational, and uplifting movie. Very well done.

vchimpanzee The movie starts with two men, apparently hurt, sitting in what may be airplane seats in the middle of nowhere in the snow. It takes a long time for us to realize what is going on, and at first it appears they may be dead.Then we see men playing or practicing soccer. And then a bunch of jerseys hanging up in the locker room.It is 1956. A group of people are watching the news in a movie theater. The great Manchester United soccer team is mentioned, and it is soon obvious that members of the team are there in the theater.Bobby Charlton is a player on Manchester United, but he hasn't done a lot of playing. He complains to his coach Jimmy Murphy, who expects Bobby to work for his position. And he does. Murphy sees potential in him, but it will happen only after a lot of effort.Meanwhile, Murphy's superior Busby is arguing with the league about what his team is capable of doing. In this movie, Busby doesn't appear to be a hands-on coach but someone who works on the business end; I have found out that wasn't true. Still, the league doesn't want Manchester United competing in Europe. Busby thinks they can and is determined to make it happen.Manchester United is turning out to be one of the great teams in the league this season. Bobby is one reason.And then comes that one game they maybe shouldn't have played. There is a deadline for them to return to England. It is snowing in Germany and they might not make it. Twice, the plane tries to take off, and twice, it can't. Then the third attempt is made ...Manchester United is such a great team even I have heard of it.This is a good movie, even if you don't find soccer interesting. It is a movie about a different time, and that in itself means something. The team is like family to the woman who feeds them where they live. But then there is the inspiring story about Bobby trying to become a starting player and ending up as one of the team's best.There are lots of good acting performances, and David Tennant is one of the best as Coach Murphy. Dougray Scott is very good too, but he seems more mean and tough than kind and caring.Jack O'Connell impresses too as Bobby.Right before the tragic event, the music is very ominous. Everything about these scenes about halfway through points to some terrible event we already know is going to happen.And afterward, there as a different but even more inspiring story. It is hard to watch but worthwhile. The news anchor is not kind and comforting but he confronts us with the reality. Will this team make it? Well, I did say Manchester United was so great I had actually heard of it.Yes, it's really a winner.

scotteggenberger Being a United supporter for most of my attentive soccer existence, I've always known about Munich. Watching this portrayal however cast new light and depth into the club's history, characters, and world opinion. I was touched to learn about the other clubs that sent on players and staff to help rebuild the club, especially Liverpool! The casting was incredibly accurate, as were their respective performances: shy boyish Charlton, charismatic Edwards, gaunt gritty yet deep Jimmy, and stalwart Busby. Busby's speaking pace, accent, and intonation, combined with his facial expressions and walk were incredible.This movie was inspirational, emotional, and surprising. It's well worth viewing. The film makes you want to scour the internet for more information on Munich and affirms Manchester United's validity as one of the top clubs of all time, especially in this age of rich owner club buyouts. Anyone can buy a team and trophies, but only the greatest teams will be respected for creating a legacy. This film highlights that turning point for Man United.Thanks for this film.

RC Turner I know far too much about the Munich Air Disaster and the lives it claimed, both in death and in injury. I spent a large portion of my formative years studying it with the hope to write a book about the event from a young football fan (which is still in its infancy). As a result, when I found out that BBC were producing and broadcasting a drama about the Munich Air Disaster, my interested was piqued; not to be critical necessarily, but to just see how other people portrayed it. The drama follows the reality of the Air Disaster, mainly from the eyes of Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Murphy which begins in 1956 with the former wondering when he will get his first team chance. Before I watched it, I figured it would be from his point of view - big name, known all over the world, Air Disaster survivor, etc. You get a (very) brief introduction to some of the players (Pegg, Colman, Jones, Edwards) and to Jimmy Murphy (played by David Tennant) and Matt Busby. It follows the problems Manchester United and Busby in particular getting the team into Europe, and a little bit about the players home lives (at home with the landladies, at a dance). This is all a build up to the crash itself, and the aftermath through Charlton's and Murphy's eyes - climaxing when Manchester United go to Wembley to face Bolton Wanderers after the air disaster. The direction of the dramatization is very good - the scenes are filmed beautifully. David Tennant plays the pain of Jimmy Murphy very well, although Tennant is significantly younger than the age Murphy was at the time of the Munich Air Disaster. The way he grieves is very real and he really put a good performance on.However, I have issues with the drama. The role of Matt Busby (played by Scott) depicts a rather shady character; shown more during the conversation with the FA about United going to Europe. Whilst Busby was very forceful about his opinions, I think they hammed this characteristic up. A huge discrepancy I had with the film was the insinuation that Busby largely left all team talk up to Murphy - whilst this is partially true, Busby was a very active participator in team training and was one of the first "training" managers of that era, and of whom we see today. The portrayal that he simply walked into the changing room to bark orders and leave the tactics up to Murphy was quite inaccurate. Onto the players; why were so many omitted? Roger Byrne, Liam Whelan, Geoff Bent, Albert Scanlon, Bill Foulkes especially? The latter was a lynch pin in helping survivors in the aftermath of the crash, along with Harry Gregg who was featured. I voiced this to a friend, who said maybe the families of those concerned wished not to be portrayed within the film, but I found it utterly baffling that someone like Roger Byrne, the captain of the team, would not even be mentioned (apart from when his death was being read out). I also had a problem with the journalists, trainers and other passengers who were not mentioned, especially those who died like Frank Swift. I thought at the end there may be a small tribute to those who passed on, so was surprised when nothing came up. In spite of this, I thought the actors were very good (in the way they were directed, even if it was painfully inaccurate). The cinematography was fantastic and a joy to watch in terms of scenery. I just wish it had been a bit more accurate, considering so much time has passed and with so much information readily available about the crash (and prior), I would have hoped for something a bit more true to life.