GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS (2005)

Director: Lexi Alexander.

Cast: Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani, Marc Warren, Leo Gregory, Geoff Bell, Kieran Bew, Henry Goodman, Christopher Hehir, Terence Jay, Rafe Spall.

Genre: Drama, football.

Plot summary:

Unjustly expelled from Harvard when a stash of cocaine is found in his possession, Matt moves to London to live with his sister and her husband Steve. He is quickly introduced to Steve's chirpy, cocksure brother Pete. Initially, Pete is reluctant to get acquainted with Matt and allow him yo tread around the capital city with him because he may be seen by others as an 'outsider', but after a heavy drinking session with him and his mates, he quickly changes his opinion of him. On the way back from a football match, Matt is viciously accosted by a gang of Birmingham City thugs, until Pete and his friends step in and save him. It's from here that Matt learns the truth about Pete and his friends: they are football hooligans, operating the GSE (Green Street Elite) firm. Initially afraid of the violence, Matt soon ends up becoming as desensitized to it as his new friends, but as events roll on, suspicion, shocking revelations and unsettled scores lead to a devastating climax where London's most fierce football rivals, Millwall and West Ham United, are set to go head to head.

Personal review:

I think that the main purpose of this film is to expose the public the hooliganism phenomenon, that is really taking place nowadays in UK. However, there is also a big emphasis on the value of friendship and the loyalty among the members of a crew, as well as the importance of having something to stand up for.

Researching a little bit on the Internet, I've found out that this film is not only Matt Buckman's story, but the story of the female director Alexander. She brought up in Germany with a brother who was an active member of a firm, and the stories she lived have become the inspiration for the film. The fact has surprised me a lot and I think that knowing that Hooligans is crafted from autobiographic material makes the characters' relationships in the film even more real and touching. It seems to me that it's ironic that the gruesome and cruel world that appears in the film is so well documented by a woman, what makes the film more incredible than it was.

I truly recommend this film to you guys, you'll love it!

Are today's celebrities role models?

Are today's superstars really role models for today's youth? Nowadays, it's a fact that throughout the world celebrities are role models to many people. Many teenagers worship celebrities and they aspire to be like them. But the question we should ask ourselves is whether it's worth admiring these people or they just provide poor role models for children. There are both positive and negative sides to celebrity role models.

On the one hand, it's completely normal to look up to some talented people, such as singers, film actors, or sport stars. They have struggled a lot in order to achieve the peak of their career,  and some of them really deserve to be where they are. Furthermore, they generally have lavish lifestyles, as well as great physical attractiveness. 

On the other hand, some celebrities give today's teenagers an erroneous idea of what is really important in life. They are a symbol of the superficial values, making people think that money, fame, and physical appearance are the most important things in life. What's more, many celebrities are notorious for their outrageous behavior and they generate a lot of controversy, what it's clearly a poor role model for children.

To sum up, I think that is the lack of true knowledge on celebrities what leads people to believe they are good role models. Many children who look up to the wrong person are likely to go down the wrong path. I understand that people look up to some celebrities because of his talent, I do it myself (and I say "some" because there are many who are famous for nothing, just for being famous, Paris Hilton for instance). Nevertheless, I wouldn't have them as role models. Whether it's the doctor next door, mi piano teacher, a special friend or even my parents...the closest ones are the best ones for me to have as good role models.