Violence and Friendship

Rating: 7/10 (24 May 2017)

The Harvard's journalism student Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) is expelled from the university two months before his graduation for stashing drugs in his closet in his room. However the cocaine belongs and was hidden by his roommate Jeremy Van Holden (Terence Jay). But the insecure Matt does not accuse Van Holden since he is the son of a powerful politician. Matt travels to London to meet his estranged sister Shannon Dunham (Claire Forlani) that is married with a baby boy with the British Steve Dunham (Marc Warren). Matt explains what happened to her in Harvard and when Steve comes home, he asks Matt to go to the football game with his brother Pete (Charlie Hunnam) since he has planned to date Shannon that night. Pete refuses since he is the leader of the GSE (Green Street Elite), a gang of hooligan fans of the West Ham United that usually fight after the matches. However Matt befriends Pete and his friends and fights with them, becoming a confident young man. But soon he has a lesson where the violence of the hooligan gangs leads them.
"Hooligans" is a surprisingly good film about violence and friendship. Elijah Wood performs an interesting character that changes his personality through his experience with a gang of hooligans. Pete is also intriguing since he is a history and physical education teacher for kids and the leader of a gang. It is good to see the loyalty of most of the characters to each other and how they change their personal lives addicted in fights after the football matches. The tragic conclusion fits well to the behavior of the characters. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Hooligans"