The Beautiful Game

There's hardly anything in “The Beautiful Game” that audiences have not seen a thousand times before. And that's unfortunate, because the Homeless World Cup has dramatic potential that transcends the underdog story archetype.

I love this movie. It's as ordinary as the dirt you play soccer on, but I don't care. It's fantastic.

The film rolls along smoothly like many a British sitcom, finding its humor largely in mild embarrassment, ironic understatement and well-rehearsed comic timing.

You can see the ending from a mile away. But that does not stop you from cheering the various teams of unhoused players.

"The Beautiful Game" has a ton of heart, lively sports action, beautiful scenery, and the true MVP every time we see him, Bill Nighy as Mal, the coach of the English team.

Peppered with funny and inspiring moments... “The Beautiful Game” is a model of a modern “nice” movie.

The Beautiful Game sets out to make a breezy, entertaining and uplifting film about the unifying power of team sports, while shying away from the darker recesses of its characters’ predicaments.

The plot isn’t as blindly predictable as one might expect, and as the characters warmly bicker and banter, their issues carry real weight -- that pay off in the second half.

The Beautiful Game is an entertaining film that combines the game's adrenaline with more inspiring themes and leaves us with a satisfied expression. It's no small feat. [Full review in Spanish]

The storytelling feels mechanical and rushed&#59; very inelegant — more English Premier League than the Spanish La Liga.