Jimmy Grimble

I discovered this film tucked away in the DVD rental shop. I cannot say why I bothered to rent it - I am not a sports fan, and have no knowledge of soccer. I suppose I thought, hey, it is British, and Carlyle is in it, so it cannot be all bad. Once I sat down and watched it, I was blown away.

This film is one of those hidden gems, a movie with a great script, a talented cast, a wonderfully unique setting, but no buzz. My feelings about such films are mixed. On the one hand I am elated to have stumbled upon such a treat. On the other, I am deeply saddened to think of all the people out there who may have loved such a movie, but will never see it. And it depresses me to think that there are many more films out there that I will miss.

I would urge anyone reading these reviews, who has not seen Jimmy Grimble, to rent or buy it ASAP, and anyone who has only seen it once to see it at least one more time. And spread the word about this, and other great, but largely-ignored, movies. Haven't we had enough of movie adaptations of bad sitcoms and comic books, films inspired by "lifestyle", and terrible movie franchises? Aren't we tired of clichés and feature-length commercials. Fight for quality with your viewing habits, and word of mouth.

Young, bullied, unconfident, Manchester teenager Jimmy Grimble (Lewis Mckenzie)is all of these. However, when he is given a pair of old football boots his luck changes and he is transformed into a football boy wonder.

This is worth a watch, it has many of the familiar sports film clichés but is still a somewhat touching tale with a fine cast and fairly good cinematography. Typical sports films usually follow the same type of formula as far as I can see:

1.A team or person are lousy at the sport they play.

2.Along comes a factor in the equation to start to change this. For example an excellent or determined coach to change their fortunes.

3.The team still are'nt winning at first but they have more spirit and are improving. Eventually they win their first game or achieve something in the sport they have'nt before.

4. The coach has a love interest with a players Mum or teacher in Disney sports films. Or a player finds a love interest or struggles in his or her love life.

5. The team enter a competition and win their first game.

6.There are personal problems along the way with players, the coach etc.

7. Eventually the team gets to the final stage of the competition and after a terrible start to the game they look like losing. However, there is a determined fight back and they end up winning, shock horror, who could have predicted that!!

OK, so perhaps this is not the formula for all sports films but some or all of the factors are involved in most. Jimmy Grimble is no exception but I still enjoyed it more than others. The lead performs his part well and the coach is played well by Robert Carlyle who is in a rather subdued role for a change. Overall, this is watchable, even if you don't like football you should get some enjoyment out of it.

Average effort but entertaining enough

I've now seen this film 5 or 6 times on satellite TV, and bought it on DVD. The first time I saw it I wasn't really watching and so wasn't convinced, but thought it was good. The second time, I watched it seriously ... and thought it absolutely brilliant.

For myself, an Englishman who always wanted to be a footballer but without the necessary talent (or any talent), this is a story of dreams come true. Of a home-life that is far from perfect, but with a mother who loves you. And a teacher who used to be a striker at the highest level. How much better can it get?

There's great acting from Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone, Gina McKee and Samia Ghandie; and a brilliant soundtrack reinforcing the emotionally key moments of the film. The side-plots are subtly handled and the ending has made me cry more than once.

Wonderful ..... especially if you have always wanted to be a great footballer but never made it, or have been unlucky in love. Recommended.

A bit unfair to criticize this film too much, it's set up like a British made for television feature (low budget, authentic grotty settings, ludicrous phony snow on the streets) and is clearly intended for a young audience. This must be the only Britflick I've seen lately that doesn't use the "f" or "c" words. In the end I felt good about it, despite the predictable progress of the plot and the heavyhanded "moral of the story" moments. The viewer will enjoy this more if he/she is up on British footballing culture, and the accents are much thicker than on Coronation Street, so you have been warned. Good cast, though every part except Jimmy Grimble himself is underwritten. McKee is gorgeous (but who buys her as a slutty single Mum?) and Carlyle takes a minimalist approach to a role that's already fairly thin on paper. Winstone is a wonderful presence without much to do, and the football scenes are more believable than in most pictures (except for the final moments, in which Jimmy is either 100 yards offside or the entire opposition took an actor's union tea break).

Am a 13 yr old boy in NZ. I own the DVD and have watched it 20-30 times. I give this movie 10/10 because it makes me feel very inspired, and living in a country that is rugby mad, we need all the inspiration we can get!!! When I am on the soccer field, sometimes I pretend I am Jimmy, and it always helps my soccer skills. That is reason enough to give it a ten. It is well acted and realistic. I find this movie to be very uplifting, and will probably watch it another 20-30 times!! Robert Carlysle is a brilliant actor and is always a pleasure to watch. More movies need to be made like this one. I don't really know what else to say... I just really love it and always will, and when I have kids, I will sit them down and watch it with them. Awesome, gritty, realistic story.