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Film Search
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It’s tempting to blast Believe, considering that cinematically it’s barely a thing and dramatically it’s embarrassingly paint-by-sports-movie-cliché. But before yielding to that (very) tempting impulse, it’s important to remember a couple of things—one being who the movie is for, namely kids, and two being who the movie is about, namely a genuinely good and inspiring person. Sir Matt Busby (Brian Cox) was famous for assembling a Manchester United side in the 1950s known as “Busby’s Babes,” a young and fabulously talented soccer team; in 1958, the team’s plane crashed, killing eight players and three team officials. Busby barely survived, but overcame the physical and psychological trauma to reconstitute Manchester United into the gold standard of English football, and one of the world's most celebrated clubs. Less celebrated—but equally important to Busby personally—was his work with kids, in and out of sport, as Believe portrays him randomly deciding to coach a youth team in a tournament. Cox, as always, does well by the character, overcoming the movie’s clumsiness. As an introduction to its subject, it does its job.
Director: David Scheinmann
Producer: James Greenslade, Maggie Monteith, Mark Sandell, Hanspeter Jaberg, Aurelio Landolt, Justin Peyton, Ben Timlett and Manuela Noble
Cast: Brian Cox, Natascha McElhone, Philip Jackson, Anne Reid, Toby Stephens, Kate Ashfield, Richard Strange, Raif Clarke and Jack Smith
Producer: James Greenslade, Maggie Monteith, Mark Sandell, Hanspeter Jaberg, Aurelio Landolt, Justin Peyton, Ben Timlett and Manuela Noble
Cast: Brian Cox, Natascha McElhone, Philip Jackson, Anne Reid, Toby Stephens, Kate Ashfield, Richard Strange, Raif Clarke and Jack Smith
