A Shocking Underworld Laid Bare

Rating: 9/10 (17 August 2008)

I saw Green Street on TV a few weeks ago and after initially thinking it would just be an overly violent waste of time with no plot. I was pleasantly surprised.
It charts the story of American Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood), who moves in with English relatives after he is wrongfully dismissed from Harvard. He unintentionally gets involved with the Green Street Elite (GSE), a football firm led by Pete Dunham (Charlie Hunman). After a violent encounter with a rival firm at his first match, Matt is plunged into a world where violence is commonplace. Things take a turn for the worst when GSE member Bovver (Leo Gregory) discovers that Matt's father is a journalist, a profession that is hated by all football thugs, and Matt is presumed to be an undercover reporter. Disliking Pete's trust in Matt, Bovver alerts rival firm leader Tommy Hatcher (Geoff Bell) to the presence of his worst enemy, ex-GSE leader The Major (Marc Warren) at West Ham dominated pub The Abbey. A violent battle ensues in which The Major is stabbed in the neck with a bottle and Bovver is consumed with guilt. A fight is then organised to settle the West Ham/Milwall conflict forever. During the battle, Pete is brutally beaten to death by Hatcher and Matt leaves for America.
Despite the extreme violence and choice language, Green Street is a poignant journey into the ruthless world of football hooliganism. Well done to all involved.