Green Street Hooligans

British football (soccer) hooliganism is fairly akin to American gang society. Each "firm" has a military-like structure. One must be initiated in. Not all of it's activities are legal, and the only way out is incarceration or death. The only real difference is that one group centers it's actions around the most recent game and the other centers activities around, um, fund raising and discipline.

This movie is about one such firm, Green Street. It is about as authentic as us yanks could stand. If you want a peek into this subculture, this movie is a great primer.

German-born Writer & Director Lexi Alexander is as interesting a Hollywood character as you can find. She is a former world champ Karate and Kick-boxing champion who has dreams of being a film-maker. She worked as a stunt woman until getting her first work on screen. it was good enough to earn her an Oscar nom. I share all this to give some insight into why this movie is so intense. It comes from the gut of a director who is fearless and knows how to get what she wants.

That was way to much to say before getting to the actors or plot. Thanks for indulging me.

Elijah Wood (Avalon, LOTR series, and Everything is Illuminated) plays a Harvard student who is wrongly expelled. Having nowhere else to turn but his sister in London, he goes there to work out what to do next. While there, he gets caught up in the Green Street activities.

Claire Forlani (Meet Joe, and CSI series on TV) plays the sister.

Very few other cast members will be recognizable to us Yanks, but their work is solid and very satisfying.

Watch this movie with a plate of bangers and mash. Toss a pint as well if you must. And by all means, sing along.