My Summer With Des (1998)

What's so different about this romantic/fantasy dark comedy is it that uses the British (and European at that - it was set in Euro 1996) enthusiastic obsession with soccer as a backdrop, and thus provides an emotionally dramatic fantasy setting of 'what ifs' and anticipation for the main drama of quirky romance. The football (complete with stock footage of England's National Team in action) and essence of the atmosphere stay true to the intended settings' accuracy and makes for a great opportunity to play off the characters via their differing interest in the British National Sport ensuring that the characters brim with a level of anticipation of each others' next direction that mirrors the results of the team they barrack for, the 3 Lions of England. The relationship between Neil Morrisey's and Rachel Weisz's characters sparkles because however quirkily their attraction as lovers fleet on and subsides off at different times, one gets the feeling that Weisz is partly a fantasy (there are storyline elements that also drop hints of this) for Morrisey's pint chugging bloke (not too unlike the concept in Fever Pitch) and that his and the nation's fantasy of success for their Football team mirrors their relationship. Every ecstatic victory in the football world is a progressional step for their relationship. Sadly, by fate, it all ends up as a case of unrequited passion. A fantasy dream that was great while it lasted. Both for the team, and ergo, for Morrissey's character, Martin.Overall, i'd say watch this one if you loved Fever Pitch, Mike Bassett, or An Evening with Lineker, although this one should be appreciated for its strong acting performances by the female lead rather than the male.

I remember this as a rather odd affair, very male, not particularly woman friendly. A world where blokes are blokey and great, with lovable eccentricities, and women are for ogling - here merely disguised rather than mitigated by romantic pseudo poetic posturing. Rachel Weisz is lovely, but not a real woman, very definitely a male fantasy figure. This felt rather curious, especially when compared with An Evening With Gary Lineker, in which the characters, both male and female, were much better drawn. The attention to detail in the football seemed much better in that other play too, here it seemed rather desultory - a sequence of blokes cheering when goals went in and looking glum when they didn't. To sum up, really rather drippy, almost as wet as Morrissey's mustache as he sipped coffee by the Seine in a ludicrous, introspective setup that a teenager would have been embarrassed to have come up with. Shallow, silly, mooning, wet, not connected to the real world. Check out Lineker - it's much better.

I remember watching this in the excitement of the run up to France '98. I remember little of the plot (some vague memory of a girl, the Holland match, a garden party) except, of course, the match structure. But I do remember enjoying it. Moreover, I remember how it perfectly captured the excitment and hope of Euro '96. I was watching this and almost forgetting how it would inevitably end. I genuinely believed England were going to go all the way despite that niggling memory in the back of my mind.Definately worth checking out if you can, particularly if England's approaching another major tournament :0)

This rates as one of my favourite sporting programmes ever. Neil Morrissey plays Martin, a massive soccer fan, who we focus on during the 1996 European Championships (Euro '96) which was being played in England.His boss insists that he attend a social event on a Saturday afternoon to prove his commitment to the firm, unfortunately, this clashes with the opening match of the tournament, England versus Switzerland, so Martin promptly quits, insulting his boss in the process.Free to enjoy the football at his leisure, Martin bumps into the mysterious Rosie (Rachel Weisz) who never seems to stick around for very long. During England's victories over Scotland and Holland, Martin's passion for Rosie increases.The tournament progresses to the knock out stages, and England move from the quarter finals where they beat Spain (watched by Martin in a tapas bar) into the semi finals where they meet arch-nemesis' Germany, and crash out during a penalty shoot-out.The recreation of the enthusiasm and fervour of Euro '96 is brilliantly recreated to full effect, and aside from the obvious painful conclusion (for England fans, at least) this gets 5 out of 5 for entertainment.