THE FOOTBALL MONOLOGUES

TBC FILM

OUT 22 OCTOBER CINEMAS

Football’s coming home? It’s never been away, suggests writer-director Greg Cruttwell’s love letter to the grassroots game. The film presents seven characters (including players, referees, managers, fans), each one an unashamed pundit. Cruttwell is an actor turned club manager whose script swells with insider insight. Filmed in lockdown, it’s understandably stagey, but the intimacy of the screen suits the conversational tone. Performances are strong, the standout being Brian Bovell as a garrulous cabbie-slash-talent scout.