Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Morten_5 With a terrific sense of the period, "The Damned United" portrays, with heart and humour, the success of British football manager Brian Clough and his co-manager Peter Taylor, played by the great Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall, respectively. Written by screen writing wizard Peter Morgan and directed by Tom Hooper, the film manages to be both a great sports drama and a touching portrayal of the importance of co-operation and friendship.

Henry Hudson This was a very good film, probably one of my favourite films of all time. When I watched this film, I was of course aware of Brian Clough and Don Revie but I had no real prior knowledge of their rivalry, nor the exploits of Clough at Leeds United but this did not hinder my enjoyment of this piece.To have Michael Sheen as Brian Clough was a superb casting decision, he portrayed Clough brilliantly throughout the film. Timothy Spall did a great job playing Brian Clough's long-suffering assistant Peter Taylor. The two actors were not only great as individuals but as a duo they worked very well together in this film.I would highly recommend this film to any football fan but even if you are not really interested in the sport 'The Damned United' is a very good piece of drama that is definitely worth a watch.

james-j-lee "You are a bloody disgrace!" hollers actor Michael Sheen as he explodes in the role of Brian Clough - the larger than life character, who in real life was arguably one of the greatest football managers ever.Sheen produces an incredible performance to re-create the persona of Clough. In The Damned United, he completely captures Clough's arrogance, his humour, his humility and his incredible professional drive. For those too young to remember the outrageous genius of Clough in his prime, then this movie encapsulates not just Clough but the whole halcyon era of 1970s football. This is a time when football was about glory and not money. It was a period when players played for the jersey and clubs were packed full of characters - Clough was undoubtedly one of, if not the biggest and most talked about character of them all. In fact thinking back Clough's charisma makes Mourhino look like a ball boy!Sheen plays Clough without parody not the easiest thing to do given that Clough was one of the most parodied figures of the day. So much so that it became a staple of impressionist Mike Yarwood's BBC1 Saturday night prime time show in the 70s. It's great credit to Sheen that he avoided what could have been an easy option. Instead what we get is the talented Mr Sheen giving us the real deal, the accent, the mannerisms, the realness that Cloughie himself would have admired.As a film, this is superbly put together with old footage, snappy editing and a clever use of the graphics of the time -the old vidi-printer is used very effectively in relaying the back story of Clough's teams'successes.Though the backdrop to the story is football, this isn't really about football. It's a character study of a unique man and his friendship/partnership with his closest colleague - Peter Taylor played by Timothy Spall - an actor who is true drama heavyweight and not just physically. Spall as always delivers a strong performance and provides good foil for Sheen and most importantly does no devious scene stealing when there must have been a temptation as Taylor too was a big character.The plot weaves flashbacks of Clough's heady days as Derby Manager with his 44 day ordeal as manager of Leeds Utd - then Britain's top club side. The script is true and pacey, the cinematography well done, the soundtrack is apt if not memorable (surpisingly for the 1970s) and the set designs/wardrobe are authentic.Having read the book, the film admittedly bears only mild resemblance. The book gets more into the head of Clough and is a very tunnel visioned and bitter point of view of his short time in charge of England's top football club. The book is much darker and less sentimental than the film, but both are equally enjoyable and entertaining.Whether you are football fan or not, if you claim to be a film fan and you don't see The Damned United then as Mr Clough himself would say, "You are a bloody disgrace!"

Howard Schumann There have been many outspoken and controversial coaches in sports history but none as cocky and controversial as British Football (soccer to us) coach Brian Clough, a man who won two League titles and two European Cups with underdog teams from the east midlands, yet is mainly known for being fired after only 44 days from Leeds United, the soccer champions of 1974. From a screenplay by Peter Morgan, Academy Award winning director Tom Hooper's The Damned United is a character study of a brilliant but flawed individual and his on-again, off-again relationship with his close associate, Peter Taylor, as together they hit the heights, then plumb the depths.The film stands out for exceptional performances by Timothy Spall as the loyal Taylor, Colm Meaney as the pompous Leeds manager, Don Revie, and Jim Broadbent as Derby's rigid owner Sam Longson. The film, however, belongs to Michael Sheen (The Queen, Frost/Nixon), who creates an unforgettable character in Brian Clough: outrageous, smart, arrogant, neurotic, but fully alive. a cocksure genius who once said: "I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the country. But I'm in the top one." When a journalist remarks that he's been called the best young manager in the country, he replies: "Thank you; I'm the best old one too." The film does not discuss Clough's lifetime battle with alcoholism.The story begins in 1974 when Clough is chosen to replace long-time manager of Leeds United, Don Revie, who is stepping down to become the coach of England's national team. The film then backtracks through Clough's flamboyant career, beginning with his tenure as head coach of the Derby County Rams from 1969 to 1972 where he raised the underdog team from the bottom of Division 2 to being a strong competitor for the European Cup. Before the match in Turin against the European powerhouse Juventus team, however, against Longson's advice, Clough used his best players in a game with Leeds, only to have them suffer injuries that kept them out of the game in Europe. Losing in Turin to Juventus 3-1, Longson calls Clough a fool and Clough publicly berates the owner.When Taylor suffers a heart attack, without consulting Taylor, Clough offers his and Taylor's resignations, thinking it unlikely that they would be accepted. To his shock, the board accepts their resignations and appoints Dave Mackay as manager, a player that Clough and Taylor had brought of retirement two years ago. After accepting a job with Brighton & Hove, Clough reneges and agrees to take the job at his old nemesis Leeds, leaving Taylor at Brighton and allowing their friendship to suffer a strong setback. At Leeds, Clough gets off on the wrong foot with his players, berating them for their past cheating and brutality and suggests they collect their trophies and throw them away.He tells them that they must play in a more honest and less bullying manner and has them perform exercises that they had not been asked to do previously. Revie is still revered by both players and fans, and the Leeds players look at their new coach with disdain bordering on contempt. In an interview after his appointment, Clough lays into Revie, still harboring a grudge since the Leeds manager refused to shake his hand before a match. In the opening game of the season, things go from bad to worse for Clough as Leeds captain Billy Bremer is suspended for violence and lost to the team for six weeks.The players refuse to play for Clough and the team wins only one of their first five games, forcing the hand of the board who fires him after only 44 days. Though there is little soccer action (mostly violent), The Damned United is a damned good film, a funny, sometimes sad, but ultimately inspiring look at the value of humility, friendship, and forgiveness, often overlooked in the competitive world of sports. You do not have to be a Brit, a Football fan, or even a sports enthusiast to appreciate the message.