The United Way

Whoever was the sound mixer should retire now, half the time you can't hear the interviews because the music is so prominent and needlessly loud. Made with passion but absolutely no skill.

Cowritten, co-produced and starring (and I do mean starring in very sense) Eric Cantona who is by all accounts (mostly his) the heart, soul and talent of Manchester United (he did write this, after all).

He performs (I mean speaks) in hyperbole, aphorisms, axioms and dictum and demands the camera loves him (he did produce this, after all).

And yet, and yet, as John Oliver would say this film is still very watchable for us of a certain age if you can set aside Monsieur Cantona's close-ups and puffery.

For the rest who can't remember, or aren't intertest in, all things Manchester United before 1991, including "Eric The Red" ... this film is probably not for you.

An interesting review of Man Utd from the Munich air disaster 1958 to 1999. A lot of material to cover here so the film skims the surface, focusing on the Busby era and part of the Ferguson era. There is no explanation or good reason why the film ends in 1999 rather than at the end of the Ferguson era - a little odd.

Without doubt these were two fascinating eras, for Busby in particular, rebuilding the team after Munich. Later of course Ferguson came to United and for the first time in 26 years they eventually won the Premiership (previously Division 1).

Overall it tries to cover too much ground so there are only glimpses of some of the the united greats like Bobby Charlton and George Best and there is no proper analysis of why United underperformed for so many years.

The truth of course is that there is not really a United Way - there was the Busby way and the Alex Ferguson way - under all other managers United have underperformed. Contrast this to Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. These teams do have a way which is not reliant on one great manager.

It is still a good watch for all the shortcomings.

Unfortunately Eric Cantona is the narrator and writer. He tries to create melodrama but the poor script and over acting grate on the nerves and are a distraction to the story.

Glory, glory, Man United Glory, glory, Man United Glory, glory, Man United As The Reds Go Marching On On On...

This review will be just a little bit biased because well, I have been a United boy since 2011 (which was a traumatic season).

Vin Diesel: it's all about family.

Guess what bro, that's the United Way. A documentary about the history of Man United, starting from one of the saddest day of the club. It's about how United recovered from this and went on to make history. It was amazing to see many of the legends, especially Cantona, as they narrated on the state of the club and the managers. Watching the goals was a treat. The end point for the documentary was a legendary one, and I was still amazed even though I knew about it beforehand.

It did felt a bit like a propaganda, especially Cantona who tried to hype the story. Felt a bit cringe at times I have to admit.

Overall, as a fan of MU this was a fun one to learn and enjoy. 8.5/10.

Eric Cantona, the legend of Manchester United Football Club, tells us about the most representative moments in the history of one of the most iconic clubs in world football. A journey that goes through both crisis and glories of the "Red devils".

Regardless of whether you are a fan or not, "The United Way", is very well done, picks up crucial points in the career of Eric Cantona, how he became a Manchester legend and how he lived this journey with his teammates. The testimonies it collects (Beckham, Giggs, Bruce...) solidly pave the way for the documentary.

"The United Way, gains so much value in its realization, that it is enjoyable even for those unfamiliar with the beautiful game"