Mike Bassett: England Manager

Running time: N/A

West Coast Premiere When the current manager of the England team suffers a near-fatal heart attack and is forced to retire, no one seems to want the job. In desperation, the football authorities turn to the manager of a minor league club, Mike Bassett. Luckily, England needs to win only one game out of three to qualify for the World Cup finals in Brazil. It should be a breeze, but Bassett hits an immediate and enduring losing streak. Yet, the team, somehow, scrapes through to Brazil where things go from bad to worse-than-imaginable, and Mike is officially voted "Most Hated Man in England"-despised by fans, ravaged by the press, and abandoned by his family. After being captured on film completely drunk in a bar, it looks very much as if Mike's England days will end in ignominy, until he hits upon a very English sense of inspirationÉ Ricky Tomlinson (Nasty Neighbours, Cinequest, 2001) perfectly portrays the less than perfect coach with absolute ease, spicing the role with his patented wry approach to comedy. Shot with magnificent digital camera technology, the familiar faux-documentary style (ala This Is Spinal Tap) of Steve Barron's satire is compelling, uproarious, and absurd. Reviewed by Al Owens