Ivan Radford | On 07, Apr 2024

Director: Thea Sharrock
Cast: Bill Nighy, Michael Ward, Callum Scott Howells, Robin Nazari, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Sheyi Cole, Kit Young, Susan Wokoma, Valeria Golino
Certificate: 12

“The sun comes up every day like new. Every day is a second chance.” Those are the feel-good words of Protasia (Susan Wokoma), the coach of the South Africa football team in The Beautiful Game, a feel-good film about a world cup filled with feel-good moments.

The tournament in question is the Homeless World Cup, a real-life annual event that sees people who are experiencing homelessness take part in a competition that gives them a second chance just by blowing a whistle. Written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, based on true stories of people who have taken part in the contest, the film follows a team of English footballers who head to Rome to try and take home the trophy.

Leading them is Mal, played with warmth and wit by the incomparable Bill Nighy. A former scout who has an eye for spotting talent and potential, he now pours his passion into helping shape people for the better and supporting them as they rebuild their lives. He encourages the players to bond as a team, to see each other as people first, bearing in mind their trauma and experiences without defining them by those.

They’re a charmingly motley crew, including Aldar (Robin Nazari), a refugee balancing his loyalty with his sense of identity, Kevin (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), who has gambling problems, Nathan (Callum Scott Howells), who is struggling with drug addiction, Jason (Sheyi Cole), who can’t remember how to talk to people, and Cal (Kit Young), a striker who feels threated by the arrival of Vinny (Micheal Ward). While Vinny’s arc is the one that takes centre-stage, the cast round out their roles with just enough grit and honesty to turn it into a winning ensemble drama.

Director Thea Sharrock balances and draws out these strengths with a generosity that echoes the script’s big heart. Sharrock gives room for Mal to have a fun, flirtatious relationship with the tournament’s director (the always-excellent Valeria Golino), while also lightly delving into the unique challenges facing the South Africa and Japan teams, without relying on stereotypes. She intersperses these thoughtful vignettes with some excellent footballing action, with quick camerawork and snappy editing ensuring that the tournament plays out at a speedy, gripping pace.

There’s an undercurrent of teamwork and compassion that taps into the human need to belong in a beautiful way, and that echoes the tournament’s goal of viewing people as individuals not as labels. The film, of course, isn’t entirely about victory, but it is about how people can find real success by giving each other a sporting chance. The result isn’t groundbreaking, but it is that rare and difficult thing to pull off: a genuinely feel-good film.

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