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A Shot at Glory
TIFF [2000]
Robert Duvall at TIFF(UNITED KINGDOM/USA 2000) 114 minutes
Starring: Robert Duvall, Michael Keaton, Ally McCoist, Brian Cox, Kirsty Mitchell
Screenplay: Denis O'Neil
Director: Michael CorrenteTHE STORY:
Gordon McLeod is coach of a struggling second tier soccer team in the town of Kilnockie, Scotland. The team is owned by American Peter Cameron who's threatening to move the team to Dublin if their fortunes don't improve. Cameron has brought in once-star player Jackie McQuillan to shake things up a bit, but McQuillan brings more than his skill to the team: he and McLeod have personal conflicts rooted in the past, when McQuillan married McLeod's daughter Kate against McLeod's wishes. Will the tension between them dash the improving team's chances of saving the franchise? It all comes down to a Cup final game against the Glasgow Rangers, coached by McLeod's longtime professional nemesis Martin Smith.
LIDIA F's REVIEW
Sure, it sounds like a soccer version of "Any Given Sunday," but the similar themes (coach-player-owner relationships, the desire to win, the politics of competition) are handled completely differently by Michael Corrente. By stressing the behind-the-scenes drama (and comedy) of the team's struggles and its relationship with the devoted townsfolk, Corrente has hit a more intimate mark than Oliver Stone. The story has as its foundation the "religion" of soccer in Scotland - where the real conflicts of Protestant vs. Catholic teams spill over onto the soccer field and into the streets in violence between fans of both camps - and each character is affected by it.
I was shocked to learn that McCoist is actually a professional soccer player and not an actor. It's by far the best performance I've ever seen by a professional athlete.
Robert Duvall's stubborn devotion to his Catholic faith and team once led to a seemingly irreparable rift when his daughter married (but eventually divorced) Protestant star McQuillan. On McQuillan's side, his days as a star are fading due to arrogance and alcoholism; he finds work with the Knockies, a second-tier team on the Catholic side. But despite his star trappings, like nice suits and a fancy car, McCoist's performance gives McQuillan a great level of sympathy (even when he's being a wanker) and his development as a character is very well crafted by screenwriter O'Neil. Not knowing much about soccer (or, as the Brits and Scots refer to it, football) I was shocked to learn that Ally McCoist is actually a professional soccer player and not an actor. It's by far the best performance I've ever seen by a professional athlete. By the end of the film, his character becomes the anchor of the story, and McCoist handles the transition with grace.
Duvall, of course, is excellent (when hasn't he been?) and the sly Michael Keaton plays his cards close to his chest, playing a character who isn't all that he seems to be on the surface. Newcomer Kirsty Mitchell gives great quiet dignity to the embattled Kate.
Talk Back
Scots will be happy to learn that Yank Duvall doesn't butcher their beloved accent. "When I went over there it was like casting myself with the wolves," he joked. "We came with hat in hand." Duvall said that it was important that the culture of the town was conveyed accurately, and that he stepped aside to allow that culture to come from the other Scottish actors and extras.
But a great character-driven sports drama doesn't mean a lack of actual sport. There's plenty of game sequences. "We had cinematographers that shot World Cup matches, and had them film in Super-16mm to give it a gritty feel," said Corrente after the screening, adding that the film's game announcers are also real announces who call games in Scotland. Corrente has made a lovely, layered film that sure to be a crowd-pleaser. He hopes the film will be released by the end of the year, and will probably be on British screens first.
- Lidia F
Talk Back
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