Number 767 on the top 1000 films of all time is the British crime-drama 'Green Street Hooligans.'
Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) is a journalism major who was kicked out of Harvard after taking the fall for his cokehead roommate. He goes to London to live with his sister Shannon (Clare Forlani) and her English husband Steve (Marc Warren.) There Matt is befriended by Steve's brother Pete (Charlie Hunnam) who leads the local firm - the Green Street Elite - a gang of football hooligans who support West Ham football club.
If you were wondering what Elijah Wood was doing after LOTR and Charlie Hunmman before he became a transatlantic star in the American tv series Sons of Anarchy, they were starting trouble in London's East End. But, before that, we need to address the huge elephant in the room: Charlie Hunnam. His Cockney accent is regarded as one of the worst in film history, and it was on-par with Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. It didn't help that Hunnam was saddled with such cumbersome dialogue; it was like he had been directed to recite the Cockney Rhyming Slang dictionary. Do people really talk like that?
You can see Charlie Hunnam's acting potential, but he was so rough around the edges, it's difficult to believe that just three years later, he would go onto star in Sons of Anarchy, where he does a great Californian accent. Speaking of accents, I just read that Clare Forlani who played Shannon is actually English. She does a much better accent than Charlie Hunnam. The actor who plays Matt and Shannon's father - Henry Goodman is also English, with Elijah Wood being the only true American in the cast.
Speaking of Elijah Wood, he was great as the transatlantic fish-out-of-water. At first, he is very out of place, but he soon fits right in with Pete and the rest of their gang, as they clash with the other firms. He isn't a big or threatening presence, but you can clearly see his progression from weak outsider to a force to be reckoned with.
At times, the violence was excessive and over-the-top, but this was still an entertaining film that displayed the loyalty that these gangs have to each other. they take so much identity in where they're from and what football clubs they support. Although I find it difficult to believe that any of the GSE would be able to hold down full-time jobs while being part of the film. What school would want to employ Pete as a PE teacher? His fellow hooligan Dave (Ross McCall) is an airline pilot. Where does he find time to be a hooligan with his busy schedule?
The story itself is good enough, while being predictable and cheesy. This is no more evidence than the ending which let the film down. *Spoiler alert*
The GSE had a final showdown with long-standing rivals - the Milwall firm 'the NGO.' But Shannon randomly drives down to the fight as well. Inevitably, this draws attention from the Milwall thugs. And Pete has to sacrifice himself to allow Matt to get his sister to safety. This was a silly, illogical contrivance. There's no explanation for how Shannon would know about the fight or where it was, and she had no reason to be there, except to cause unnecessary conflict. If it wasn't for her, Pete would still be alive. And don't get me started on the stupid slow-motion and choral singing.
That notwithstanding, I ultimately did enjoy Green Street. Sure, it was cheesy, but it was also an intense and rapt look at the hooliganism that dominates UK football.
