Imagine you're a film director and you're making a movie about football hooliganism. You need to cast someone as a hooligan. Who comes to mind first? Elijah Wood, the world's most famous hobbit? Yeah right. But that's indeed who plays the lead in this fantastic film. I've had this DVD on my shelf for several months but for some reason have shied away from watching it. Violent films are not generally my thing, and because this film centres around hooliganism at my own football club, I guess I thought I might not like it. But this film has it all. It doesn't glorify hooliganism - in a strange way, it explains it. Another of my favourite actors, Marc Warren (who plays Danny Blue in 'Hustle') also played a blinder. The second lead, Charlie Hunnam, who played the leader of the GSE (Green Street Elite) grew into the part- his rather strange accent was at first unconvincing but after a while you stopped wondering where he came from. Very strange to have Elijah Wood playing a Hooligan and Charlie Hunman playing an East Ender. Well done to West Ham for co-operating with the film and allowing them to film within the stadium. The ICF (Inter City Firm), which the GSE is based upon, is part of the history of West Ham whether we like it or not, and Green Street probably explains their psychology better than any documentary could have. Part of me wonders whether I would have enjoyed this film as much if I hadn't been a West Ham fan, but I guess we'll never know. I suppose had I not been I wouldn't have been singing along with "West Ham till I die, I'm West Ham till I die!" The one thing about a film like this is to spot factual mistakes. The match footgae they showed was when West Ham were in the Championship and Jon Harley was in the side. Yet the next week they were playing away at Manchester United. Not. Apart from that, brilliant film. Highly recommend it.
