Jimmy Grimble

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

There's Only One Jimmy Grimble is a very simple film of whimsy and football, a tale of a young 15 year old Manchester misfit who learns some life lessons when he encounters a strange old homeless dear who gives him a pair of magical old football boots. So yes, boys own fanciful stuff for sure, but it has such a warm heart, is loaded with dry Lancastrian wit, and threaded together with such an affection for the sport and teenage growing pains, that's it's impossible to dislike. The cast list is impressive, with Ray Winstone, Robert Carlyle, Gina McKee, Ben Miller and Jane Lapotaire keeping the ball up for the adults, while in the youngsters half we have Lewis McKenzie as Jimmy scoring well by being naturally uneasy in front of the camera, and Samia Smith has the required charm and feistiness to make the tricky "girlfriend" role work very well.

Jimmy Grimble versus The Psychopaths!

There's good football action for the footie loving fan, with serious tension filled sequences sitting next to some truly funny ones - anyone who played for their school football team will identify with the "different" sort of teams Jimmy and co have to play against. Some of the young characterisations will definitely strike a chord with most British folk who played sport at school. The drama is well played, with director John Hay letting his actors imbue the narrative with the right amount of emotional weight, the soundtrack is contains ideal poundings from bands up North and John De Boorman's cinematography is suitably bleak and beautiful at the requisite junctures.

It has flaws for sure, any film fan could pick holes in this without really trying, and familiarity of the sub-genre undoubtedly stops it blooming with freshness. But why gripe? Film achieves its aims, it wants to leave you with a feel good glow and delivers on that promise. High art it's not, perfect British footie pick me up? Indeed. All together now, "there's only one Jimmy Grimble, one Jimmy Grimble". 7/10

What an inspiring movie for both kids and adults alike, you'd think that this sort of movies have been made over and over again. You're wrong, "Jimmy Grimble" is beyond the sugar coated disney type of yarns.

It's grim, sad, fun and full of joy all at once, but not superficial.

I think this film is a real boost for all of us to stop doubting ourselves and go do what ever we enjoy and be the best we can.

Extra points for the scriptwriters for including Man City as an integral part of the movie, the Blues are as genuine as the movie.

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).

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.