Not a great film, still interesting study of subculture

Rating: 6/10 (20 September 2005)

I just saw this in a sneak preview.
Brief plot summary: American Matt (Elijah Wood) drops out of Harvard after being framed. He moves to the UK where his sister lives with her English husband. Matt gets involved in the a firm (gang) of a football team. He discovers a new side of himself.
This flick shares some themes with "The Fight Club" (about love for fighting) and "Once Were Warriors" (about present day proud Maori tribe members). Unfortunately, the level of these movies is never reached here. The main problems are directing with a lot of rough edges and wooden dialog every now and then. The "firm" part story feels authentic, but some other parts, such as the scenes at Harvard seem phony, made up.
The movie slightly uncovers motives why someone would want to be in a hard core supporter gang. It also gives you a unique inside look into this violent subculture. Elija Wood's performance of Matt as the central character works most of the time. Apart from him, there are not a whole lot of people to care for.
All in all, this movie did not leave me completely cold. There were some dramatic scenes that worked. But it's not a great must-see picture either. If you want to get a rare glimpse at the violent subculture of football hooliganism, it may be worth checking out. 6/10.