Fever Pitch (1999) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com Member: Online Film Critics Society
"They were f***ing rubbish last year. And they were f***ing rubbish the year before. And I don't care if they are top of the League, they'll be f***ing rubbish this year, too. And next year. And the year after that. I'm not joking."
Starring Colin Firth, Ruth Gemmell. Not Rated (some strong profanity, not much else... would probably still get an R rating).
Having lived in Europe for nine years, I experienced first hand the sensation that is soccer. One of the world's great mysteries, in my opinion, is how America managed to almost completely avoid this phenomenon. Sure, there's a league, and yeah, there are fans, but does anyone ever hear anything about the teams? Are they ever on the news? In the paper? Do the games set attendance records? Never. Indeed, the USA blasphemously renamed it "soccer", alloting its real moniker, "football", to a sport where feet are hardly ever even used.
For the doubters of this sport's unearthly popularity comes a little British movie named Fever Pitch. It isn't a soccer movie as much as it about obsession with soccer. It has some sports elements, but at its core its a love story and a life story. It doesn't always work, but it's always pleasant. It is not a comedy, though apparently it's being marketed as one, but rather a serious, often somber drama about a man's life being ruined by his pious devotion to a sports team.
Based on the autobiography of one Nick Hornby, who also adapted it for the screen, Fever Pitch explores the life of Paul, a mildmannered schoolteacher who turns into a rabid, profane fan at soccer games. Since he was a child, Paul has closely followed the soccer team "Arsenal". They have not captured the league title for 18 years, and for all that time, he has been patiently waiting for them to get somewhere. Now, all signs point to yes -- it seems the time has come for Arsenal to go all the way. Paul has never been this excited, but the timing couldn't be worse.
You see, he has entered a relationship with a co-worker (Ruth Gemmell). Needless to say, she is not a soccer fan, nor is she happy with Paul's Arsenal obsession. She assumes, not incorrectly, that his team means more to him than both she and his upcoming baby, and she sees the sport as something she has to compete with to earn his boyfriend's attention. Paul recognizes the problem, but something subconcious keeps him from letting go of his soccer life, even a little bit.
Besides his life as an adult, the film also tracks some of Paul's childhood; specifically how his father inspired his love for soccer. Though a few of these scenes have a clunky feel to them, they tend to be the movie's least contrived. The ones that work have a more natural flow to them than some of what we are presented with in Paul's adulthood.
Much of Fever Pitch is affecting and sincerely felt. It's premise isn't the freshest I've ever seen but it's unconventional enough to make an occasional impact. Colin Firth's Paul is a very effective character; his everyday Joe affability mixes ominously with his uncomfortably deep obsession with what is merely a hobby for most. Firth's generally reserved, occasionally explosive performance contributes to his persona's impressive on-screen presence.
The biggest problem with Fever Pitch is the pseudo-romance at the heart of the plot. We are never shown any positives in their relationship. The two spend the whole movie giving each other wounded looks -- when they aren't bitching, that is. We are supposed to want the relationship to be mended; we're expected to root for Paul to devote more of his life to it, but we can't. From what we are shown, there isn't any reason for these two to stay together. The only feeling they ever display towards each other is contempt.
The happy ending reduces the otherwise unusual film to being merely an ordinary sports movie, muddling its message. It felt like it belonged in another, more upbeat movie, and here it was simply out of place. It leaves the audience at a loss, unsure what to make of Fever Pitch. On one hand it's a dark tale of obsession, on the other it's a simple-minded fable about blind devotion. The movie's denoument leaves us wondering just which one of them it is.
This is a British Indie film, and it was more superficially entertaining than I have come to expect from its type. Unfortunately unlike works of Brits like Mike Leigh, it is also confused about what exactly it wants to tell us. It engrosses the viewer and then proceeds to confuse him.
Grade: C+
©1999 Eugene Novikov
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.
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