Goal! (2005) 6/10

Starring : Kuno Becker, Stephen Dillane, Alessandro Nivola, Anna Friel
Director : Danny Cannon
Running Time : 113 mins

Santiago Munez (Becker) is a gifted Mexican football player living in Los Angeles, but when he is offered the opportunity to play for Newcastle United he soon decides to swap the sunshine of LA for the drizzle of Newcastle.

This movie was okay, and it was very unusual to see it was written by the comedy double act of Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement as there was very little in the way of outright comedy. The simple story, the usual rags to riches tale flipped in reverse by sending someone from the usually rich Los Angeles to the poor working class city of Newcastle was funny in theory, but overall this comes across as a strict coming of age drama whereby Becker is forced to overcome his illness to become a world famous football star. A sequel was made, but as yet the trilogy has not been completed.

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