The Club

This film may lack the polish and production qualities of the Hollywood and British movies of the same time. But it came at a time when Australia was making good films about Australian subjects using Australians. The acting is good and the script is well written.

I saw this when I was a teenager in the '80s when it was aired by the Beeb. It is an amusing and droll take on the '70s Aussie macho style. Mustachioed fairhaired Jim Thompson is highly professional as the coach. The abundant sun and light of Australia are astonishing. It is a stablemate to 'Goodbye Pork-pie' (1981) the hilarious and adventurous New Zealand road-movie.

Every time I watch this film I marvel at how well written and acted this film is. It is an excellent analysis of the manouvering and back-stabbing that goes on at a football club but avoids the pitfalls of being overly serious and is also very funny.

There are so many memorable characters one could mention but that the one that stands out for me is the character of Gerry, the club administrator. In every scene he's in, you see how, whenever he has something serious to say to someone, he uses terms like 'we' or 'the committee' - he never uses the term 'I' so that he slyly absolves himself of responsibility of any of the hard decisions that are made. As Laurie says, he is an oily weasel. Sadly, he's the type of person you would find on the AFL Commission these days.

Finally, to correct a previous reviewer, the song is 'Up there Cazaly', named after the footballer Roy Cazaly.

"The Club" by David Williamson was an excellent play which addressed many issues about the changing face of sport. This particular film does justice to the play by having actors that give solid and believable performances. If you have seen the play, you may not enjoy certain aspects of this film, but the use of more then a single room or set adds a new dimension to the story. Footage of actual games as well as real club locations is added. Perhaps the best part of this film is the ending as it is very true and satisfying. Worth watching - even if you have no interest in the sport of Aussie Rules.

A very good if not wholly accurate film about aussie rules football. The characters are in most cases larger than life but are on the whole believable. The backstabbing and wrangling is as you imagine it to be and the dislike of the board by the players is tangible. You will laugh and cry at the antics of the Magpie`s. Watch it, you won`t regret it.