Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3898 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-03-25
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English, Portuguese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The latest in the ubiquitous mockumentary genre, Mike Bassett: England Manager follows the eponymous hapless head-honcho of the England Squad through the build-up to the World Cup. Ricky Tomlinson is Bassett, once again donning the sheepskin coat of the nation's favourite working-class northern underdog (Riff Raff, The Royle Family). Plucked from obscurity and literally out of his league Bassett is the last choice for the unwanted job of England Manager. He's also hamstrung by a team of misfits, clearly modelled on well-known England players, including a violent psychopath who's more interested in breaking limbs than breaking away with the ball and a blubbing Geordie team-joker. Bassett and his team of allsorts are further hampered by drunken arrests, forgotten balls and Brazilian girls turning out to be boys.

Though primarily a vehicle for Tomlinson, there's the usual smattering of Lock Stock faces and cameo appearances here: Phill Jupitus underacts a jaundiced sports hack; Keith Allen sends himself up as a new-lad celeb leading the team through the their awful World Cup song; and Atomic Kitten are, well, Atomic Kitten. Fart jokes and swearing provide plenty of beer-belly laughs, and the Henry V "once more unto the breach, dear friends"-style attack on the fickle back-stabbing English press proves unexpectedly poignant. Throw in a trendy soundtrack featuring Robbie Williams and Artful Dodger, and we have a cup-winner. It may be episodic, patchy and xenophobic in places, but football fans, or anyone who can take the odd high tackle, will enjoy this bittersweet taste of flawed glory leavened by British humour at its self-deprecating best. --Paul Eisinger

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
Popular British actor, Ricky Tomlinson, stars in this lighthearted football-themed comedy as the titular Mike Bassett, a lowly football manager who is surprisingly handed the job as manager of the English national team. The film follows the team's hapless exploits as they set out to win the World Cup in Brazil. After a losing streak and an embarrassing drunken incident, the manager has to rally his team and his country behind him.

Customer Reviews

Hilarious - I could watch it again and again!
This is a fantastic film. It is done in an original style - sort of like a documentary. The film follows the new England Manager, Mike Bassett, around during the build up to and the actual World Cup. He faces a disastrous beginning to the World Cup campaign and ends up struggling emotionally with being the England Manager. However, he eventually pulls through which gives more license for the film to lighten up and it develops into a must-see crude comedy.
Definitely one to buy - I loved it!!!

Mike Bassett: England Manager
Although the film does contain some genuinely funny middle of the road jokes I do think that one needs to be a keen football fan to appreciate the whole concept of the film, and certainly if you are a keen follower of the "beautiful game" you will understand all the lovely little nuances this film has.

Make in a spoof documentary style it follows the story of a lower division football manager who gets given a chance at the England football manager's job. The film takes more than a swipe at the infamous "Do I Not Like That" documentary that was made about Graham Taylor's unsuccessful time in charge of the England team and is full of the characters that inhabited the management of the team at that time. You have Bradley Walsh, now of Coronation Street fame playing the Phil Neal "yes man" and the macintoshed figure of assistant manager Lonnie Urquart or should we say Laurie McMenamy. There are also more than a few recognisable cameos amongst the football players, but I won't spoil the fun of guessing these! Other characters that pop up are Phil Jupitus as a fleet street sport hack, Martin Bashir as the documentary presenter and the gorgeous Amanda Redman as Bassett's wife.

Apart from the comic element, what the film also does quite nicely is analyse the illogical football fan in us all. Bassett goes from hero to villain depending upon results with little concern to how the victory is obtained. The country forgives Bassett's drunken antics during the world cup as long as England progress to the later stages. No matter how badly the England team are playing, thousands of fans still turn out to watch and support.

The only complaints I have is that I do have concerns to how well the film will age, will the relevance of the film diminish with the years and become almost incomprehensible to an audience who know nothing about the Taylor era, or perhaps on the other hand, it will become something of a accurate historic portrayal of the time. The other downside to the film is the disappointing ending; the story is wrapped up in a matter of minutes and comes to a real anti-climax.

Final mention to the star performance in the film of the fantastic Ricky Tomlinson. He absolutely steals the show and really shows of what a depth of talent this man has.

Its English, and I love it!
Mike Bassett : England Manager is a great film to kick-start your summer with. The combination of comedy and a great storyline is brilliant, mixed with what we expect from Ricky Tomlinson and thats great acting. It is a film to wipe away those holiday blues when England have once again failed in the World Cup or Euro. It can make you see the funny, and dreary sides of being with the England squad. Ricky Tomlinson's team have facial characteristics form past england players, including a David Seaman look-a-like and two brother players, presumably based upon the Neville brothers. The team have their highs and lows during the World Cup they are competing in, but Bassett never gives up, and takes his team to further than they expect.. Martin Bashir does a simple yet effective 'documentation' to the entire film, as that is how it is filmed - Englands road to the World Cup. The acting from the England players is good, Ricky Tomlinson shows how he can act both emotionally and humorously. The music in the film is also great and sets the tones for the time of year, with a good song to end the film form Robbie Williams. Laughs, laughs and.. more? Definitely!