Green Street Hooligans (2005)

	Also Known As: Hooligans
	Year of first release: 2005
	Director: Lexi Alexander (Punisher: War Zone)
	Actors: Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings 1-3, Maniac, Sin City), Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy TV-series, Pacific Rim), Claire Forlani (Mallrats, Meet Joe Black)
	Country: GB, USA
	Genre: Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 09.06.2014, DVD, 11" computer screen
Synopsis: After being expelled from Harvard, a young journalist student (Wood) ends up hanging around with his sister's brother-in-law (Hunnam) in London and discovers the football frenzy.
Review: I have had this DVD for years and only now watch it. I think I bought it because I had liked the other movie about hooligans entitled I.D. (a.k.a. Undercover a.k.a. Hooligans in some countries) with Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty, 28 Weeks Later), and another rather violent movie Romper Stomper starring a young Russel Crowe. The story is similar to other "undercover cop" movies, but there are many differences: the character played by Wood is a journalist and doesn't even want to write a story, and it is a family relationship that led him to enter a world new to him. His motivations are not always clear (how can this guy end up part of a gang??), but if you accept that the movie is OK. Hooliganism is also shown differently: the football teams they are supporting are not very good, but the most important is the reputation of your Firm, half-way between a brotherhood, a supporter's club and a gang. And Charlie Hunnam is very good at playing the leader of this gang. No surprise that he was then spotted by Kurt Sutter to play a similar role in the Sons of Anarchy successful TV-series. Elijah Wood also plays naturally and has no trouble making you forget his Frodo side.
Rating: 6 /10