‘The Beautiful Game’ Review: Bill Nighy Gives Micheal Ward a Sporting Chance In a Spirited Soccer Drama
variety.comGuy Lodge Film Critic An assortment of familiar life-as-sport metaphors get a healthy workout in “The Beautiful Game,” a story of underdog athletes for whom winning may not be everything, though it’s a welcome distraction from greater obstacles.
For many viewers, Thea Sharrock‘s cheery Netflix entertainment may serve as an introduction to the real-life event on which it’s based: the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life.
As a premise for an inspirational sports drama, that’s close to unbeatable, and no amount of rote writing in Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s patchy script can dim the film’s lump-in-the-throat effectiveness.
Though drawn from the stories of a range of Homeless World Cup players, the film ultimately centers a single team — England, of course — from the event’s international tapestry, and rests on a couple of stock sports-drama figures.
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