TrueJoshNight
Truly Dreadful Film
Beystiman
It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Jp Asher (JP_Asher)
Sean Bean stars as equally Sheffield United-mad brewery worker Jimmy Muir, a talented footballer who was let down by authority figures as a young man. After ten years working a dead-end job the frustrated Muir meets Annie Doherty, a pretty Irish love interest played by English actress Emily Lloyd, and soon after gets the second chance at his dream that such people always seem to get in these modern fairy tales. Yes, the formulaic plot is predictable and clichéd, but it is still enjoyable to watch and there are quite a few touching moments.Funnily enough, although this is a football film I felt one of the strongest aspects of the film was the way it dealt with the personal relationships between Jimmy and his family members and friends: Pete Postlethwaite, for example, playing Jimmy's mentor Ken Jackson, puts in a strong, convincing performance, as well as John McEnery as Jimmy's abusive father Joe. A subtle side-track detailing Joe's past and its relevance to Jimmy's present is cleverly done and is to me an important part of the film's overall message.Unusually for a sports film, the actual football is very well done. Director Maria Giese manages to do what so few directors have before or since in getting both the match itself and the atmosphere right. Every game portrayed is totally believable, from the park football at the beginning to the climactic final match at the end. Giese should really be commended here; each match is very different and she gets the overall feel of each one at least very close to spot on.One criticism I will give the film, however, is its ending, which seems incredibly rushed and not really believable -- I know I said before that this is a fairy tale but watch the film and I'm sure you will see what I mean. I think that if you cut out ten minutes from earlier in the film and add a few more minutes of action just before the film's climax, the movie would work a lot better. It just seems very sudden to me, that's all.Nevertheless, "When Saturday Comes" is an enjoyable watch, especially if you're a football fan. By no means brilliant, but still well worth the night in. 7/10.
gcd70
Uninspiring, total fairytale about a young Sheffield lad who never has the courage to pursue his dream of playing for local division one side United. That is until he meets a girl who really believes in him, and then everything changes."When Saturday Comes" is really a family drama about self-belief and self-destructive behaviour. It is not, however, a very good one. Too many clichés and a pointed script can't manage to involve the audience. None of the cast, including Sean Bean, Emily Lloyd and Pete Postlethwaite, are able to make you care. The final game is well staged and appears authentic.Monday, January 12, 1998 - Video
oshakina
The BOREST (could i say so? or MOST BORING?) film i've ever seen (ok, maybe the second one: "Family Man" with Nicholas Cage is a little more awful). God knows i love football, but this film disproved women are possible to reason on sports. I've tried to watch it fearlessly, but couldn't help it: it's a pale green bore with pathetic attempts to show the "inner life of British working class heroes", "the class struggle" and all that. Soap opera meets Angry Young Men cinematography and goes to the area of a sugary drama. Dead dialogs. Puppet-like actors. Seems like "directoresse" didn't even made them play something. She'd better focus on some TV-series like, sort of, "Grace Under Fire" or something. How the idea to make a FOOTBALL movie only came to the head of this respectable woman?? Do excuse my not-so-perfect English, guys. :-)
Alan Devine
I saw this film primarily because I am a supporter of Sheffield United. To fully enjoy it however, you need to suspend belief and overlook some of the inaccuracies that it contains. The depiction of Sheffield for example, appears to be more appropriate to the seventies than the nineties and some of the dialogue & accents were "out of date".However, these were small reservations and overall I enjoyed the film - mainly from the perspective Sheffield United fan. Come on you Blades!!!