An excellent movie : modest, intelligent, sensitive and restrained. The story is mainly (but not exclusively) told through the eyes of Bobby Charlton, a young footballer of genius, who survives the crash, and football trainer Jimmy Murphy, who is back in Great-Britain when the disaster happens but is confronted with the human fall-out and the near-lethal blow to the club. As a result the viewer gets a pretty complete image not only of the crash itself, but also of its build-up, ramifications and consequences.
The period detail is realistic and the emotions ring true, thanks to outstanding performances. (Mr. Tennant proves that he is much more than just his "Doctor Who" character). Mr. Mansell can be proud of an excellent musical score, which creates a mood of sadness and tragic inevitability without becoming intrusive or over-emphatic. The immediate aftermath of the plane crash is very well done : people who have lived through moments of great terror or shock will recognize that strange mixture of hyper-clarity and swimming, swirling impotence.
So this is a very fine movie. Only one thing struck me as a bit of a shortcoming and that was the exclusive focus on the Manchester United team. The premature death of so many young men, all of them superb sportsmen in their prime, was, and remains, a grievous sorrow, well worth of pity and remembrance. But it might have been nice to spare a few kind thoughts and words for the other victims of the crash, too. One can be sure that the other people who died in the crash had hoped to live a longer life ; one can also be sure that they, too, left spouses, relatives or friends who mourned their passing deeply.
The period detail is realistic and the emotions ring true, thanks to outstanding performances. (Mr. Tennant proves that he is much more than just his "Doctor Who" character). Mr. Mansell can be proud of an excellent musical score, which creates a mood of sadness and tragic inevitability without becoming intrusive or over-emphatic. The immediate aftermath of the plane crash is very well done : people who have lived through moments of great terror or shock will recognize that strange mixture of hyper-clarity and swimming, swirling impotence.
So this is a very fine movie. Only one thing struck me as a bit of a shortcoming and that was the exclusive focus on the Manchester United team. The premature death of so many young men, all of them superb sportsmen in their prime, was, and remains, a grievous sorrow, well worth of pity and remembrance. But it might have been nice to spare a few kind thoughts and words for the other victims of the crash, too. One can be sure that the other people who died in the crash had hoped to live a longer life ; one can also be sure that they, too, left spouses, relatives or friends who mourned their passing deeply.