A Shot at Glory

This might not be a great movie, but it's a long way from being a bad one. The plot is standard sports movie material - plucky underdogs, previous grudges, former star slipping down the sports food chain, last chance at glory - but it's carried off with some style.

Robert Duvall is good, and draws on several well known soccer managers from UK mining towns for his portrayal. British viewers can play 'spot the managerial reference'. Reviewers in Scotland were critical of Duvall's accent, but it's not that bad, although it veers in to an Irish accent once or twice. Writing from Scotland, I would have thought it would sound pretty convincing to non-Scottish viewers.

Ally McCoist does well, and the references to his own career are entertaining. The football scenes are well done, and far better than some other soccer movies. Compared to 'Escape to Victory', for example, it's a soccer masterclass.

Our soccer-mad son would enjoy it, but the language in the movie and a sex scene makes it unsuitable (although the swearing is toned down compared to most football matches I've attended). Overall, a decent film that will probably increase in appeal over the years as the local furore over accents and football loyalties is forgotten.

So bad it's good, but so bad it is. Duvall is how I would imagine the late Bill Shankly would sound if you had slipped him a mickey containing LSD. How a great actor of his stature came to be in this turkey can only be attributed to his legendary drinking sessions with Jimmy Johnstone going beyond the wee small hours and into the twilight zone.

Surprisingly the cheeky chappie and rookie actor, ex Rangers player Ally McCoist is not as excruciating to watch as others who should know better in this. Michael Keaton looks as stunned as a cow on a quiz show, as he tries to work out what the hell is going on here.

I laughed when I'm sure I wasn't meant to and for the rest of the movie my toes curled so much that I got cramp.

In the name of the beautiful game, avoid this like the plague.

I happened across this movie while channel surfing Direct TV and made a point to see it in its entirety. As a major soccer and Robert Duvall fan, I was truly impressed and anyone fitting into either or both of those categories will love this as well. The plot line is sports movie formulaic, e.g. "underdog beats the odds", but that takes nothing away from this incantation nor the superb way that the movie is shot. Obviously, the director knew the sport or listened to someone who did. You will really feel that you are watching clips of The Scottish Cup. Even if you know nothing of soccer, the movie is done in such a way as for you to still appreciate the main story line against the backdrop of the intense world of Scottish soccer (football).

Robert Duvall is simply amazing. This may be one of those performances by a sublime actor that will be lost to history but is a testament to Duvall's preeminence in his craft. Duvall plays Gordon McLeod, the manager of the small, fictional Kilnockie soccer club that has just taken a chance on a combustible superstar, Jackie McQuillan (Ally McCoist) who seems to be on the downside of a superlative career. Oh, and it just so happens that McQuillan is Gordon's son-in-law. The marriage of his daughter to the flamboyant McQuillan deviated Gordon to the point where he no longer speaks to his daughter (the superb Kirsty Mitchell). Far fetched? Maybe, but interesting and compelling nonetheless. For American viewers, it is amazing to see Duvall absolutely nail the Scottish accent and manner of speech while managing to actually sound like a crusty yet lovable soccer coach. If you know what a Scott or a soccer coach sounds like, you'll love this. I was more than ten minutes into the movie before I really accepted the fact that this was the "Great Santini" in this role.

Brian Cox as Duvall's arch rival, Cole Hauser as the back-up rookie Anmerican goalkeeper (who gets his shot in the big game, but then if you have ever watched a sports movie, you KNEW that was going to happen) and Michael Keaton as the slick American owner of the Kilnockie team hit home runs in their respective small roles. Ally McCoist, a real life soccer star in Scotland, is wonderful as the enigmatic McQuillan. Although I don't know much about McCoist's actual career in Scotland, I can't help but think that his part here is somewhat biographical. Either that, or McCoist is an unbelievably tainted actor because he nails this one.

No amazing special effects, no big box office notoriety, no major studio hype. But, if you appreciate a good story with actors doing a superb job, pick up this movie.

If I was an American living in America with maybe a passing interest in Football or Soccer as they tend to call it, then this movie might pass as pretty good entertainment, but being Scottish and loving football since I could walk and talk I found this film to be absolute rubbish. Robert Duvall is a fantastic actor but he is hindered here by his awful attempt at a Scottish accent, couldn't he have just played it in his normal voice. Maybe they could have come out with some sort of explanation why an American would end up managing a Scottish team that would have been been easier to swallow than his Hey Jimmy! Och aye the Noo dialect. Also as a Celtic supporter you would expect me to be ready to crucify Ally McCoist's acting since he used to play for Rangers, but actually he is by far and away the best thing in the film! He's actually pretty good! Sadly the footage they used of his days with Celtic ( he's wearing his Rangers strip coloured green! ) is awful. Actually nearly everything in this film is awful, it was a very, very bad idea from the beginning. Also why is a great actor like Michael Keaton doing in this, he is wasted in a small role, was he just doing a favour for Duvall? I must say though the actual football matches were pretty well done, much better than the likes of Escape to Victory or any other football movie. ***3/10***

It's difficult to make a movie about football (soccer) that will satisfy one's appetite for interesting match scenes as well as a desire for a worthwhile plot. 'A Shot at Glory' certainly does not pull this off, but it is an attempt worth watching in any case.

The plot is rather mediocre, but at least it is somewhat linked to the fortunes of the team itself. Nosy American owner (Keaton) buys team, threatens to move it to Ireland if aging coach (Duvall) can't win the Scottish Cup. The second strand of the plot involves the former Golden Boot winner (McCoist) brought in by the owner, who is the somewhat estranged son-in-law of the coach. The third element, of course, is the performance of the team itself. There is certainly some awful dialog in the film, but it quickly passes from memory once the matches begin.

In comparison to 'Bend It Like Beckham' and 'Mean Machine,' the two football-related films 'A Shot at Glory' can easily be weighed against, the film at hand establishes itself as the clear choice in terms of the realism of the matches. The experience of watching each match is rather like watching a cinematic version of Championship Manager -- there is very little continuity between moves, but it somehow seems to make sense.

At the end of the day, 'A Shot at Glory' is well worth watching if you are looking for a well-executed football movie. The plot may be formulaic, but the match scenes put many others to shame.