studioAT Brian Clough was a very interesting man. A genius football manager yes, but certainly an interesting man, and not always for the right reasons.I'm not a huge source of knowledge about the real man, so can only take this films version as being close to accurate. I think Sheen gives an accomplished performance, and dominates every scene he is in.The films heavy handed approach to language is the only thing that put me off slightly. I get that in a mans world like behind the scenes of a football club there would be swearing, but it alienated this viewer.Don't get me wrong though, this is a better than average film.

Henry Hudson This was a very good film, probably one of my favourite films of all time. When I watched this film, I was of course aware of Brian Clough and Don Revie but I had no real prior knowledge of their rivalry, nor the exploits of Clough at Leeds United but this did not hinder my enjoyment of this piece.To have Michael Sheen as Brian Clough was a superb casting decision, he portrayed Clough brilliantly throughout the film. Timothy Spall did a great job playing Brian Clough's long-suffering assistant Peter Taylor. The two actors were not only great as individuals but as a duo they worked very well together in this film.I would highly recommend this film to any football fan but even if you are not really interested in the sport 'The Damned United' is a very good piece of drama that is definitely worth a watch.

paul2001sw-1 Brian Clough was an enigma: a man whose record as a football manager was (given the resources at his disposal) second to none, but who relied on his assistant Peter Taylor to spot players, had no great technical expertise and whose approach to man management was decidedly eccentric. He was brilliantly quick minded but also an alcoholic; a supposed socialist who was accused of taking unauthorised commissions on transactions; and a man who went to Leeds United, a club he hated, and was famously sacked in just 44 days. David Peace's ambitious novel, 'The Damned United', offers one imaginative take on Clough's psychology during this period; but as a film, it's a poor effort. Michael Sheen, Tony Blair in a number of other screenplays by writer Pter Morgan, doesn't quite convince as Clough, and makes him seen more like a blustering fool than an intelligent man. Of course, that famous Graham Taylor documentary may have punctured our illusions about so-called football genius; but still, I was looking for some clue as to what Clough did well (except, of course, at Leeds) and didn't get it. Bad wigs abound. And Clough's complex relationship with Taylor is reduced to a piece of routine male bonding, with Tomothy Spall playing Talor as a man with the charisma of a lead balloon and whose importance to Clough remains totally mystifying. From Peace's book, one gets a view of a talented and ambitious man who over-reached himself, an unique individual both arrogant and exposed. This translation lacks the depth; and sadly, therefore, also the point.

Rabster22 Firstly, I am astonished by the volume of favourable comments. For me, especially after all the hype, this was a major disappointment. Sheen delivers his usual convincing impersonation (in voice at least) and Spall is typically very good. The actual film is just bad. Others have highlighted the glaring inaccuracies, but the film doesn't even live up to its own name. The time spent on Clough's days at Leeds are not given a great deal of exposure. My first football match was back in about 1964, so I have plenty of memories of the era involved, but frankly I have sat through 0-0 draws that were far more entertaining. Clough was an interesting character, did that come across? Not really. More a caricature than a homage. 3/10