The Keeper

One of the most enjoyable films of the year, whether or not you like football. Really good story, solidly told. Yet another film not getting the publicity or wide release it deserves.

A truly heartwarming story of reconciliation and the human condition. I watched this film in the Cinema in St. Helens. A town that is close to my heart and that features in Bert Trautmann's story before his time playing for Manchester City.

This movie is about so much more than football. I'm largely disinterested in the beautiful game but even I was bowled over by the brilliant humour and heartwarming story of redemption and reconciliation.

Watch this movie, tell your friends about it and talk about it. It deserves to be seen both on its own merit and as one of the few films to represent working class northerners in a human light, displaying their unique sense of humour and kindness as well as dealing with the emotional fallout of war in a mature way.

Though I had heard about Bert Trautmann I didn't know his story

Which this film told very well, and is well worth watching even and especially if you not a football fan.

Once again what could have been an excellent film was ruined for me by a script written by people who were not born until decades later. I was growing up in the North of England at that time, and the period covered my childhood and teens. I cannot speak for the men but the F___ word was NEVER used by women or in mixed company at that time NEVER, EVER! The first time I heard used at all I was in my 20's and the user got a severe reprimand. Nor did women at that time discuss sexual matters as freely as the young women in the film. It just wasn't done, was considered 'dirty talk' and the women were considered 'fast'. Otherwise the film was very enjoyable, if a little too manipulative. One encounter left out when Trautmann broke his neck he was being congratulated by Prince Philip after the game, who remarked on the injury as Trautmann was holdng his neck. One thing the filmmakers did get right was the way they showed the football scenes and the way it was back then, when players kept their day jobs, and spectators at local pitches stood to watch the match. There may have been seats, but we could never afford them. When I see the way football has become a huge business today, with astromical salaries, prima donna players, luxury stadiums and changing rooms, somehow I think we lost out and the simple game was better. To summarise, I really would like to see film makers cut down on the use of offensive language, particularly in flims set before the 21st century.

It was an absolutely wonderful film, a brilliant story about a tremendous soul who helped to bring people together. Who didn't seem to have a nasty bone in his body and who just seemed to personify dignity and grace, in addition to being a tremendous athlete. The performances by David Cross and John Henshaw were astonishing. Great ensemble cast, wonderful direction, just a really outstanding production