The Damned United Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Damned United Blu-ray Movie Review

Another damned good Blu-ray from Sony.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 9, 2010

Football is a beautiful game.

That would be "football," a.k.a. "soccer," and not "football," a.k.a. "smash-mouth American-style shoulder pads and helmets Colts vs. Saints who-cares-about-the-game-give-me-my-goofy-commercials." Commercials? More important than a game? There's actually drama and interest other than that which plays out on the field? Sometimes, particularly if the sport is English football and the coach is Brian Clough, manager of the mighty Leeds United for a whopping 44 days, a drop in the bucket of time considering his entire managing career and accomplishments but nevertheless arguably the most disorderly and confused 44 days in the history of sport. A beautiful game indeed but just as chaotic off the field and in the stands as on the grass and between the goals, football is a game of passion and politics, of loyalty and lunacy, of fans, coaches, and players alike prideful and determined to propel their team to the top of the standings and eager to engrave lifelong memories on their willing souls -- with the notable exception of Clough's tenure with Leeds. Spiteful of its former coach and hating everything about the team and its style of play, Clough's reign as Leeds manager was a month-and-a-half of turmoil, disregard for professionalism, a disappearance of dignity, and marked by a personal vendetta that was pulling its manager in two different directions that would see a team, a management group, a fan base, and a country in disbelief as a once-mighty club fell from grace like a meteor from the sky, all under the leadership of a manager who hated with everything inside of him the damned United.

Michael Sheen as Brian Clough.

Brian Clough (Michael Sheen, The Queen) is the manager of the fledgeling Derby County football club, a Division 2 squad that's barely out of the cellar. The club has a shot at upsetting the powerful Leeds United in a 1968 FA Cup matchup, and while Derby loses two-nil, it's not the loss but rather Leeds' manager Don Revie's (Colm Meaney, Law Abiding Citizen) snubbing of Clough -- failing to even recognize his presence -- and his idea that Leeds' players are dirty and no-good cheaters on the field of play that sets in motion a notion of all things hatred for Revie and Leeds United. Clough nevertheless brings Derby into prominence -- and into Division 1 -- by signing an aging but effective veteran against the wishes of frugal team chairman Sam Longson (Jim Broadbent). When Revie is pulled from Leeds to manage the English World Cup team, Clough finds himself offered the position as Leeds United head coach, an offer he can't refuse despite his disdain for Revie and his players' code of conduct. Without his trusted assistant Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall) at his side, Clough immediately lets the Leeds players know that he doesn't particularly care for them or their former manager. So begins a tumultuous 44 days that sees Clough alienate everything and everyone around him as Leeds United falters under his leadership and plummets in the standings from its perch at the top of the English football universe.

The dramatized story of Brian Clough is one that transcends sports and makes for enthralling filmmaking not only on the strength and entertainment value of the tale but in the way Director Tom Hooper ("John Adams") presents the material in both a visual and, more importantly, dramatic context. Indeed, the film's drama stems from the man and the conflict, both of which are of only tertiary importance to the sport involved. There's certainly an element to the film that makes football and the frenzy that surrounds it in England of some thematic importance, but it's the whirlwind story and its nonlinear presentation that truly makes The Damned United intricately-woven and altogether fascinating filmmaking. Hooper's use of extensive flashback in constructing the story -- slowly piecing together Clough's history in English professional football but within the context of the foreknowledge of his time with Leeds and his contempt for the team and its former manager -- actually makes the film all the more captivating and thematically relevant, The Damned United, then, able to piece together the events in a coherent but nevertheless topsy-turvy approach that, stylistically, seems somewhat reflective of Clough's reign as Leeds manager.

The Damned United is thematically grounded but sometimes humorously brutal, the story certainly enjoying a few comedic elements but playing primarily as a straight Drama with plenty of raw emotion surrounding the messy world of the internal politics of professional sports and the impact it has on a wide berth of individuals. The Damned United is quite unlike any other sports movie, the film a rare glimpse into the goings-on off the field rather than on it, the picture focusing almost exclusively on a leader rather than an athlete, dramatizing not a glorious brush with immortality but rather fictionalizing a tumultuous relationship that, as the picture's title suggests, seemed damned before it was even conceived. It's a welcome diversion from the feel-good scenarios that so often dot and define the Sports film landscape, and The Damned United is consistently engaging because of its unconventional sports-themed approach, though like with any exceptional piece of filmmaking, the picture transcends its genre and uses its exterior façade -- football -- to comment on a more pertinent subject, in this case the follies of pride, resentment, and egocentricity.

Clough's stubbornness and self-centeredness demands a tour-de-force performance to capture the nuances and accentuate the charisma and alluring yet slightly off-kilter character traits that led to Clough's rise in the world of football and eventual damning tenure with Leeds, and Michael Sheen -- who dazzled as Tony Blair in The Queen and enthralled as David Frost in Frost/Nixon -- is once again up to the challenge, the actor positively devouring the part and playing every quirk and nuance to perfection, no matter his character's place in the film and, vis-à-vis, in English football history. Sheen encapsulates the cockiness and self-centerdness marvelously, and even in some of the character's more humbling moments, there remains a hint of superiority and righteousness that transcends the more superficial happenings in such scenes. Also excelling is the ever-reliable Colm Meaney, here portraying Clough's self-made arch-nemesis with an ease and confidence that sees him as more an observer throughout the film until Clough's Leeds career comes to a head; Meaney's effort is more subdued but no less effective, a trait he shares with the equally strong but slightly more involved Timothy Spall in his part as Clough's right-hand man, Peter Taylor.

The Damned United Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Damned United kicks onto Blu-ray with a gorgeous 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Though the film delivers plenty of bleak, overcast, dulled imagery with a slightly washed-out appearance and a proliferation of grays and blues into the frame, the transfer boasts strong detailing and depth, the image basking in its intended visual tone, an image that's also free of distracting and transfer-destroying phenomena. Fine details are sharp and nicely rendered throughout, whether raindrops amassed atop Clough's automobile, the brick texturing adorning the Leeds United stadium, the bits of grasses and clumpy mud on the field of play, or the handsomely-textured neckties and sports coats as seen throughout the film. Still, the washed out, dull appearance dominates the film, with the one major exception of a beachside sequence later in the picture where the image delivers a splendidly bright, intricately-rendered, deep, and altogether vibrant series of images that maintain the transfer's quality but showcase a whole different aspect of its technical prowess. The transfer also features a fluctuating grain field that's overpowering in some scenes but barely noticeable in others. Additionally, as a rule and with but a few exceptions, flesh tones can appear somewhat ghastly and blacks tend to take on a washed-out and excessively bright texture, but nevertheless, The Damned United looks marvelous on Blu-ray with its shortcomings minor and not particularly troublesome.

The Damned United Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Damned United serves up a healthy Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is fairly subdued and lacking in prodigious sonic elements, but the more nuanced feel of the track is reproduced nicely for this Blu-ray release. The track features slight atmospherics throughout, from a buzzing overhead light to distant typing within the Leeds United offices, such elements playing primarily through the front with little rear-channel activity to help create a more engrossing ambience. Unfortunately, some of the soccer matches will leave listeners feeling detached from the action; raucous crowd noise and in-game sound effects play as a bit distant and lacking in a more realistic and engaging posture. On the flip side, music is rich, room-filling, and crystal-clear, with a spread into the back channels and a slight low end support structure in some of the more catchy pop and rock period tunes heard throughout. Unfortunately, dialogue occasionally comes across as slightly muffled and, more detrimental, a bit lost underneath various musical cues and sound effects. Nevertheless, this dialogue-heavy Drama delivers a fairly strong but not robust or particularly memorable soundtrack, the mix adequate in every regard but never stepping up and delivering a fuller and more satisfying listen.

The Damned United Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Damned United arrives on Blu-ray with a fine selection of bonus content. First up is an audio commentary with Director Tom Hooper, Actor Michael Sheen, and Producer Andy Harries. The track covers a wide berth of information, all of it delivered with an honesty, sincerity, and intelligence as the comments pertain to the story and the technical aspects behind the filmmaking process, both structurally and thematically. Topics include working with and convincing former English footballers of the viability of the project, the picture's dramatic and physical structures, shooting locations, the assemblage and performances of the cast, crafting the film around a series of flashbacks, research for the project, deleted scenes, additional history surrounding this era of English football, and much more. Fans of the film and aficionados of the sport both will want to give this track their undivided attention. Cloughisms (1080p, varied runtimes) is a collection of four scenes shot to create some of the television interview pieces seen throughout the film. All are included with optional director commentary.

Perfect Pitch: The Making of 'The Damned United' 1080p, 16:26) examines the process of adapting Author David Peace's book to the screen, the performances and contributions of the cast with emphasis on the characters they portray, the work of the actors that portray the footballers, shooting the football action scenes, shooting locations and crafting the look of the football fields, and the themes of the story and the structure of the film. Creating Clough: Michael Sheen Takes on 'Old Big 'Ead' (1080p, 10:17) features the actor sharing his philosophy and method of capturing the essence and uniqueness of the characters he plays, with emphasis on his research of the real Brian Clough and his thoughts on the manager's life, style, relationships, and more. Next up is Remembering Brian (1080p, 9:34), a collection of interview clips featuring various individuals recounting their memories of and thoughts on Brian Clough. The Changing Game: Football in the Seventies (1080p, 19:12) features a collection of interview clips and archival footage that reconstruct the history of English football in the time of Brian Clough and Don Revie. Also included is a collection of nine deleted scenes (1080p, varied runtimes) with optional director commentary; BD-Live functionality; and 1080p trailers for Broken Embraces, An Education, The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day, Sugar, It Might Get Loud, Moon, Rudo Y Cursi, Soul Power, Coco Before Chanel, "Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season," Michael Jackson's This is It, A River Runs Through It, Rocky Balboa, and The Natural.

The Damned United Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Damned United is an exceptional film that's centered on the world of sport but never really feels like a Sports movie. This is instead Drama of the highest order, the tale of a man and the perilousness of a long-standing grudge that throws a team, a sport, and a country into upheaval as, for whatever reason, Leeds United falls from grace during Brian Clough's stay, the manager unable to maintain a powerhouse franchise despite his ability both before and after his tenure with the team to take the helm of a wayward organization and steer it to the top of the standings. Nevertheless, the sports elements are but of tertiary importance to the human drama of The Damned United, and Director Tom Hooper milks the story for all it's worth while his exceptionally-talented cast all deliver engrossing performances that accentuate the story without overwhelming it. A superb film in every regard, The Damned United is a must-see picture, no matter the viewer's affiliation to the sport of English football or foreknowledge of the protagonist's endeavors in football history. Sony's Blu-ray release does the film justice, the disc delivering a high quality 1080p transfer, a strong lossless soundtrack, and a nice assortment of extras. The Damned United score big-time on Blu-ray, and it comes highly recommended.