From director Lindsay Anderson (if...), I knew from the obvious title what the film involved and who the leading actor was, but it was seeing it I was most anxious about. Basically, set in 1960's Yorkshire, Wakefield, Northern England, lives coal miner Frank Machin (Oscar and BAFTA nominated Richard Harris) who has the ambition to become a star rugby player. He joins the league team run by Gerald Weaver (Alan Badel), and he lodges with widowed Mrs. Margaret Hammond (BAFTA winning, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Rachel Roberts), who had her husband die in an accident. Frank has a very bad attitude that stops him getting to the places he really wants to, and his situation with Mrs. Anne Weaver (Vanda Godsell) doesn't do him any favours. I'll be honest, the moment when Frank has his front teeth knocked out really confuses you the rest of the way through because they are back and forth, I was wondering if the plot was linear, so I just enjoyed Frank getting bad tempered. Also starring Doctor Who's William Hartnell as 'Dad' Johnson, Colin Blakely as Maurice Braithwaite, Dad's Army's Arthur Lowe as Charles Slomer and Anne Cunningham as Judith. Harris does very well in the moments when he goes over the top and lashes out, and Roberts is really good as the woman who takes it all, the sporty moments were okay, I just wish all of it made more sense and I could agree with the critics five star rating, but it is worth seeing. It was nominated the BAFTAs for Best British Film, Best British Screenplay and Best Film from any Source, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for the Samuel Goldwyn Award. It was number 46 on Film 4's 50 Films To See Before You Die. Good, in my opinion!
Review of This Sporting Life
