British Fight Club

Rating: 3/10 (2 July 2018)

This movie had two things I didn't care much for: soccer (yes I called it soccer) and senseless violence.
It would be an error to say the movie was about soccer because it had very little to do with soccer. It had more to do with senseless violence than anything. Green Street Hooligans did its level best to convince us of the nobility of soccer "firms" (aka gangs). Apparently, the soccer teams of England also have unofficial "firms" attached to them. These "firms" are nothing more than liquored up thugs that fight each other for a "rep" and "firm" dominance.
What failed to resonate with me was the fact that these firms fought each other based upon their chosen soccer team. They make a point to insult the Crips and Bloods who fight over turf as though fighting for soccer is somehow more noble.
It's a sport. It's for entertainment. The players themselves wouldn't even fight over their respective teams. And I get sports passion because I love sports myself. Still, I'm not fighting over it.
The main character, Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood), was a languishing spineless soul until he fell in with the West Ham United firm--or so they'd have you believe. After he got a taste of blood and excitement he was a changed man. A better man.
The plot was painfully simple and one-dimensional and Elijah Wood didn't sell it at all. Nobody really was able to sell this movie to me. It was hard to take one iota of this seriously. Fighting over soccer teams, reputations, journalist phobias, and daddy issues all made an appearance and none of it made sense. I'm assuming that this movie is so beloved because it's like a British version of Fight Club. Fight Club I liked, this I didn't.