Hey folks, Harry here in Madrid reading my ol pal Nick´s look at a new and upcoming film from the filmography of that actor we just love to see do his thing... Robert Carlyle... Now if you ever want to talk to ol Nick here... just pop into chat about 4a.m. central standard time and start talking... like many of us AICNers... he´s got a damn cool life that pays him to bullshit with the rest of us... muhahahahhahahaaaaa
Evening Harry. You know me. Its not often I get to leave work early. Nipped out early tonight to catch a preview of ‘There’s only one Jimmy Grimble,’ starring Robert Carlyle, Ray Winston and Gina Mckee.
They were filming this last November at Maine Road, City’s Football Ground but I couldn’t go. Had to work.
It was difficult watching this tonight. It felt like someone had made me the film to order.
It’s about my hometown. It’s packed with places I’ve known all my life. It’s about someone wanting to play for the same football team I’ve supported since I was 3. And it uses The Stone Roses and The Charlatans as pivotal soundtrack moments. And it plays them in full.
It’s a coming of age story about a young boy given a pair of magic football boots to play in during a regional tournament. His school team is the classic Kelly’s Heroes set up. ‘Loveable’ Dickheads chain-smoking their way to the finals at Maine Road.
The squad is led by former City Striker now Sports Teacher, Robert Carlyle. Gina McKee plays Jimmy’s mum and Ray plays her ex. It’s all simple stuff. The plot you’ll already know inside out. The acting isn’t a problem. Some of the kids are great and some are awful. Ray hams it up. Gina looks lovely. And Robert is in and out of the film like the S.A.S, no messing about.
The point is it’s a film made by the Arts Council in England. I’m not being funny but there really has been a lot of crap made in this country over the last 5 or 6 years. And Jimmy Grimble got chosen over and above all of that.
And that is a really good thing. Because Jimmy Grimble is about people and places that don’t normally get a mention. That’s why you get people like Carlyle and Winstone involved with it. The directing and the writing isn’t great. It’s not up to Twenty-Four-Seven standards. There’s things wrong with it. But there’s no hang-up’s about anything. They’re not making a Ken Loach film.
I mean I’d like to have seen more of the team. A lot of the lads were fucking funny. But none of that really bothered me. I just really enjoyed finally watching a British film set in the North West. And I’m not talking about East is East or Full Monty because those films had agendas laid out by major film companies.
So by the end of the year I’m expecting Jimmy to pay the rest of the world a visit, presumably around the same time that Guy Ritchie gets his Snatch out for you. Maybe even around the time we get to see another offering from the Natural Nylon stable.
Fuck them off and choose Jimmy Grimble. Best music. Best football. Best haircut.
Manchester Nick
