Brilliant from start to finish. The energy thrums throughout the production. It dances along your nerves, the footage unfolding like the best of games, graceful passing, hard tackling, thunderbolt shooting, thrilling and frustrating as Town's surreal, undulating, rollercoasting season unfolds. As the film builds those undulations become a heart monitor strapped to a raver, every new sequence, every new comment another spike across the scene and a fresh jolt to the audience meanibg we are never allowed to settle. At times it's as if someone off screen shouts "Clear!" and we're pumped with a defibrillator, Spring's hands gripping the paddles and laughing manically in our faces as he builds the tension through the football and the interviews, interchangeable faces and action, words and deeds, stirring music. The unique nature of the play-off journey, three opponents, three away games, three sets of extra time, had already provided all the ingredients of a thrilling script. It's every sports movie you've ever loved wrapped neatly into one crazy season to present a real-life Hollywood tale of triumph over adversity.
And Hollywood it certainly is as that adversity was provided by the Hollywood A Lister Ryan Reynolds along with Rob McElhenney. IN the film, they both provid beautifully charming opponents, think Grimsby's Rocky versus Wrexham's Apollo Creed. Both are just as beautiful and ultimately charmingly magnanimous in their cameos. Look out for McElhenney's perfect summation of what it feels like to lose out in a closely fought game.
The talking heads were excellent throughout, introducing the town and the Town, compliments only, of course, but nevertheless honest and sincere. Their passion, for the club and for the 21/22 season shines from their faces, filling the cinema with an almost childlike joy - these guys are just as much in awe of that season as we are. Dave Moore, the club's physio, was a particular standout, his Grimsby roots give him the air of a father figure, a benevolent observer, mentor and carer, his lines delivered rationally, soberly, not quite detached and not quite sardonic, just an honest man who tells it like he saw it. Poster boy, John McAtee, is proud, "a lad" as described by CEO Debbie Cook, and perhaps a little naive as he describes his mid-season red card, but his honesty, his innocent joy at his involvement allows us all this brief moment to believe in that romantic ideal we all hope is true but rarely dare to speak out loud: the players do it because they love it and they know, they understand, unthinkingly, unquestionably understand, that every one of us would love to experience those moments of joy, to make that tackle, that pass, that save, to score that goal, to turn to those adoring thousands and raise our arms in the air...
This is a film that makes us believe.
