KitYoung – Credits Rolling

A football team led by their coach Mal (Bill Nighy), travel from London to Rome to compete in the Homeless World Cup. A last minute addition is former semi-professional Vinny Walker (Michael Ward) who has a chip on his shoulder, but a great set of skills. He soon learns that he will have to confront his past in order to help the team and move on with his own life.

I think what makes this movie so compelling is the fact that it is based on true events. The Homeless World Cup is a real life football competition that takes place annually. It gives opportunity to those who may not otherwise have it . And while the stories of our characters may be fabricated, I really enjoyed seeing how these countries banded together over the love of a game.

Nighy is a world class actor who has tackled many different roles throughout his career. He was the perfect choice for the England team coach. The way in which he mentored these men who had once lost their way was really lovely to see. His relationships with each team member (Callum Scott Howells, Tom Vaughn-Lawlor, Sheyi Cole, Kit Young and Robin Nazari) were special in their own way – he was like a father figure to them. I have to say that this is very much Ward’s movie, however. He gave a convincing performance as the jilted football star and while at times it was starting to get old, it was also necessary to the plot.

The match scenes were a joy to watch. They were filled with so much energy and excitement, which is normal for a football game, but this time around felt different. You could tell that this Cup meant so much to these characters and that just added to my overall enjoyment of the film. There were so many moments where I couldn’t decide which team I wanted to win!

I really liked The Beautiful Game. A feel good story at its core, it makes you appreciate the little things in life. There were various moments throughout where I had tears in my eyes because it really touched me and that wasn’t something I was expecting. I highly recommend checking out this wholesome film over this Easter holiday weekend.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Best friends Agatha (Sofia Wylie) and Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) always knew they were destined for more. Growing up in Gavaldon, a tiny town where nothing ever happens, Sophie in particular has always begged to be taken away to the School for Good and Evil. But when it happens, Agatha tries to intervene and gets taken along for the ride and the two are dropped in the wrong area. Only true love’s kiss can set things right and they will do anything to fix this mistake.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this movie. I never read the books so I cannot say whether or not they stayed true to the story, but I was hopeful for this adaptation. There were so many promising aspects from the incredible world building, to the magical creatures and fantastic costume choices. Also, if you think about it, we haven’t had a captivating enough fantasy series in a while.

I’m sad to say that this flat out disappointed me. I don’t know where I went wrong in thinking this would be an origin story between Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron) and Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington), but that would have been one hundred percent more interesting. Then there was the fact that Theron and Washington weren’t even in the movie as much as I thought they’d be.

While I wanted to get onboard with Agatha and Sophie’s story, there was something holding me back. I think a large part of that had to do with their acting. Having seen Wylie in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, I was familiar with her work and found her to be the strongest one of the bunch, though at times her too cool for school attitude grew tiresome. Caruso, on the other hand, was just bratty and annoying. I get that was the point of her character, but I couldn’t stand it as time progressed.

In addition to seeing more of Lesso and Dovey, I would have liked to have more backstory on some other characters. Kit Young portrayed Rafal and Rhian, the founders of the school. More focus on him would have been a different take. Or even when they were older, the role taken on by Laurence Fishburne would have sufficed. I did like having Cate Blanchett as The Storian, however.

I truly believe that if The School For Good And Evil had been adapted as a TV series instead of a movie, it could have been much better. There would have been more time to flesh out each character and plot point and it wouldn’t have felt so jumbled together. A wasted opportunity.

Rating: ♥♥