The Beautiful Game: A Heartfelt Journey of Hope and Endurance
All right, I’m not a sports guy, but when it comes to sports films, I think they almost corner the market on inspiring stories. Netflix is presenting ‘The Beautiful Game,’ which is based on real events surrounding football and the people who play in this one particularly unique league.
Mal is the manager of England’s homeless football team, taking his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a global street soccer tournament. At the last minute, he decides to bring along a talented striker who could give them a real chance at winning, but only if he’s ready to let go of his past and become part of the team.
The Heartwarming Message of the Film
I didn’t know that this league existed, but the Homeless Football League takes teams from all over the world and gives them an opportunity to play football, better themselves, while also instilling self-confidence and self-esteem. The matches are more like indoor soccer, but with smaller pitches and a shortened game length.
Here, we follow Bill Nash, the manager for England. Now, he’s coaching a team already, but he comes across a talented player that he invites to play along. Michael Ward plays Vinnie, and he’s a hard one to root for. The character is abrasive, pompous, entitled, and way too smug with his abilities. Right from the get-go, we can tell that his arc is going to be obvious and predictable.
A Journey of Redemption and Self-Discovery
Within this story, Vinnie’s character growth is drawn out, making him more of an antagonist than needed. The progression can be inspiring, but it’s also hard to swallow because of how he treats his teammates and how long it takes to learn his lesson. There is a situation with another teammate that he is directly responsible for, but he never really makes amends, leaving a bitter taste in the viewers’ mouths.
The heart of the story is wonderful, showcasing hope and endurance by illustrating individuals overcoming obstacles. These individuals showcase growth not only in terms of finances or circumstances, and sometimes it’s not even the players that show the growth. The character stories, combined with player backgrounds and contexts, add a ton of needed depth to endear them to us.
A Narrative full of Warmth and Hope
The characters can be quirky and mildly silly, but the pureness of their hearts creates a beautiful narrative full of warmth and hope. However, there are extraneous sequences of b-roll montages that feel like filler, dragging the film and making it feel extremely long. At 2 hours and [watch the video for full details](#), it’s a heartfelt journey with a few bumps along the way.
