Charlie's accent ruined it for this Brit reviewer - contrived for American audience

Rating: 6/10 (16 September 2005)

I write this review reluctantly because I think this film deserves some credit as a powerful portrayal of football violence. I've seen all the other films that have attempted this and I have to say that this one fails to place. I was tempted to leave the cinema at one point.
You know what it's like when something can't fail to distract you? Like a beautiful baby...wearing an earing...something subtle but so incongruous that your brain fails to process? Well that's Charlie Hunnam's accent. I know that this film has been favourably reviewed by (mainly) Americans but I'm sure they have no idea how terribly a London accent can be mangled by a Geordie. Charlie's acting was strong, but the irony of this film is that his character would have been beaten to within an inch of his life as a probable imposter. How odd then that he's been cast in the role of the Firm's boss. This was a challenging role for Hunnam and he failed to carry it off - always looking like the actor and never the role. This contrasts strongly with Leo Gregory as Bovver who looked like a crack addled Sean Bean. Utterly amazing acting - I hope we'll see more of him. Maybe the next Tim Roth! - I'd also mention Claire Forlani as Elijah's sister Shannon - not only one of the most beautiful women on screen but a very powerful actress.
Finally - The Elijah Woods/Harvard plot was a bit of cackhanded way of cashing in on the emerging US interest in 'Soccer' and making an otherwise very niche film that much more marketable.