Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2070 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-12-26
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
After the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Elijah Wood could've opted for further big budget epics, but took a sharp left turn with this better-than-average B-movie. Released just after Everything is Illuminated, another offbeat entry, Wood plays journalism student Matt Buckner. In the prologue, he's expelled from Harvard when his over-privileged roommate sets him up to take the fall for his own misdeeds. With nowhere to go, Matt decides to visit his sister, Shannon (Claire Forlani), in London. He's already got a chip on his shoulder when he falls under the sway of Shannon's brother-in-law, Pete (Charlie Hunnam), head of West Ham's football "firm," the Green Street Elite. Matt soon gets caught up in their thuggish antics—to tragic effect. In her feature debut, German-born Lexi Alexander makes a mostly convincing case for the attractions of violence to the emotionally vulnerable, as opposed to the emotionally numb pugilists of the more satirical Fight Club. Unlike David Fincher (by way of Chuck Palahniuk), she plays it straight, except for the stylised fight sequences. Consequently, humour is in short supply, but the young Brit cast, especially Leo Gregory as the surly Bovver, is charismatic and Wood makes his character as believable as possible, i.e. he may seem miscast, but that's the point. Although there's no (direct) correlation between the two, Green Street makes a fine taster for Bill Buford's Among the Thugs, the ultimate dissection of the hooligan mentality. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Synopsis
Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) is a student who travels to London, where he forms an unlikely bond with his sister’s husband's brother, Pete Dunham (Charlie Hunnam), who introduces him to the world of football hooliganism. Violence breaks out at a West Ham game that Matt attends with Pete and Matt's initial trepidation at the violence swelling around him soon turns into a pulse-racing, visceral thrill. Suddenly finding a taste for the hooligan life, Matt joins Pete's "firm," the Green Street Elite, leading to further booze-fuelled confrontations and providing an opportunity for Matt to keep a journal explaining why he's attracted to such a violent pursuit. Surprisingly, Elijah Wood manages to fit perfectly into a role that seems ill-suited to his elfin, wide-eyed looks. Charlie Hunnam--who starred in the television programmes Queer As Folk and Undeclared--neatly complements Wood as the cockney boy who leads him into danger, and together the two actors manage to carve out convincingly violent characters. Thematically similar to The Football Factory, Green Street mixes loud, energetic soundtrack and roaming, trembling camera work to create a disquieting atmosphere in a movie punctuated with scenes of rampant brutality.

Customer Reviews

american football factory!
I knew after I had watched Football Factory that this would be very similar to it and I wasn't wrong. Elijah Wood does a good job, you almost feel sorry for the little fellow as he is introduced to the apparently desirable world of hooliganism in England (London of course, where else) by his sister's husband's brother (who by the way seems to have a problem keeping the same accent through the entirety of the film, resulting in a weird Geordie/american/english garb that I found most annoying). The film is nail biting, gritty and probably reflective of the thugs that call themselves football supporters these days who think its's ok to act this way. There were some good performances from the cast (It was nice to see Marc Warren pop up again after his stint in the fantastic 'Hustle')and Claire Forlani did well as the wife trying to keep everyone on track but failing miserably!It had many good points although I could'nt help feeling that the presence of Elijah Wood as an american actor defied the object of british football hoolaginism.

Rip-off!
A total rip off of football facotry! The main chracter is suppose to be this hard cokney geezer but if you listen closely he has a northern accent! Elijah wood was pants! This is a nothing film wouldnt recomend anyone to watch or buy this! A true disgrace to british film makers!

embarraseing
a fotball hooliganism film,no it aint really is it,the so called top boy is 20-25,some yankee cousin soon becomes 'one of the main lads',there dressed like chavs,not football lads,as for the film,is it just me or are west ham playing gillingham,when its meant to be birmingham,unless they changed from blue to black and blue hoops and signed andy hessentiler its gillingham,and if bob could dress as a steward and stand there giving it the biggen in front of the away fans,i recon he'ld av been nicked,lets be real hey!the actings crap,for west ham to take only 4-8 'young lads' to manchester and have an off,doubt it very much!the fact this film gets a 1 star is over generous,ild recommend i.d and the firm with gary oldham as more realistic approches as to football hooliganism!