Young Santiago Muñez (Cuno Becker) is a talented soccer prodigy who spends most of his time gardening for wealthy families and working as a waiter at a Chinese restaurant. Despite his skills, he never really thought about playing soccer at a high level. His family is illegal immigrants living in Los Angeles, and the reality of his immigration status has hindered his dreams. Despite this, he knows that he doesn’t want to start a lawn care company with his father (Tony Plana), because his father believes that this is their best way to achieve the American dream.
Glenn Foy (Stephen Dillane), a retired football scout from England, sees Santiago play and arranges for him to try out for his old club, Newcastle United. However, with insufficient funds, a passport, and even his father’s approval, crossing the Atlantic is only the first of many trials for Santiago. Upon arrival, his poor performance puts him on the verge of being sent home, his teammates are jealous of him, and my goodness, have you ever seen the weather in the northeast of England? However, Santiago’s affable personality wins him widespread support. From customs officials to the staff at the local bar, to the club nurse, his new girlfriend Roz (Anna Friel), and even David Beckham, everyone wants him to succeed.
Santiago (the protagonist of the story), a poor genius, met his mentor by chance. When he broke through the family resistance and was about to realize his dream, he encountered setbacks. When everything was terrible and it was about to end tragically, a turning point appeared, and new hope set him on the road to success. After that, the development was smooth sailing. Although there were still ups and downs, it did not prevent our little Santiago from finally standing on the court of the crucial battle and scoring a winning goal to have a happy ending. Yes, he became famous with one goal.
The kindness is infectious and relatable. Director Danny Cannon, who also directed Judge Dredd and I Know What You Did Last Summer, takes his film to the next level by injecting it with a passion for football. The match scenes are some of the best on screen. Cannon relies on the speed and power of football to create excitement, rather than using cookie-cutter slow motion. He also knows how to subtly build drama but keeps the pace just right to avoid being too saccharine. The rest of the film is filled with majestic stadium shots and England’s landscapes.
The essence of drama, the contradiction and conflict, is well presented to the audience. Unfortunately, this kind of plot has been overused by directors all over the world, and even when the audience sees a key conflict, they will say: Ah, the next development should be like this… Tradition makes this movie second-rate. However, this is not the evaluation it deserves, at least not from me. I will give it full marks because it moved me, a kind of emotion that is not “The Promise”. I can be sure that the director is a person who loves football, or he is a person who understands people who love football.
Using real clubs, the game is full of immersion. In the 1990s, Newcastle, under the leadership of Shearer, achieved very good results, allowing more Chinese fans to know this team that wears black and white stripes like Juventus. Although it was silent for a while after Shearer retired, it once again became the focus of fans with the return of Owen. The guest appearances of the stars are eye-catching. Shearer’s inadvertent display of strength and Beckham’s sudden appearance made people unable to believe it for a while. The subsequent appearance of Zidane and Raul made people smile knowingly, it turns out that Adidas and Real Madrid are also related here.
Reality is a highlight of this movie. Real dribbling moves, full of texture, each move is professional (at least more realistic than a certain domestic film a few years ago). Although in real games, only players of Ronaldinho’s level can perform them calmly, and most of the time they are rare and impractical. But using them here does not reduce the reality of the film, but increases the appreciation and adds color.
The branches of kinship between two generations of father and son, the branches of emotions with a beautiful girlfriend, the branches of friendship with various friends… The main line is clear, the sub-lines are rich, and each plot is fully developed without being too slow.
There is a sentence in the film that left a deep impression on me. This sentence appeared in the first conflict, when Xiao Sang’s father opposed him to give up the life he had arranged for him and to play football as a career. When he faced his father’s obstruction, he shouted: “It’s your life, not mine!” It is still a very clichéd plot and dialogue, but it does not prevent you from savoring the meaning of these six words. For me now, I think this sentence is right, but how will I see it ten years later, and twenty years later?
I’m wary of movies that use exclamation points to highlight their inadequacies. This movie is not bad! It’s not as bad as you think! Please watch it! Thankfully, Become a Famous! lives up to its reputation with a fascinating cast and exciting on-field action. It’s a sports movie that sticks to its formula, but it stands out by digging deeper into the essentials than other movies.
I have always believed that football is a sport for men, although I am not a male chauvinist. There are enough words to describe the first sport: hot-blooded, passionate, and exciting. This movie interprets it very well. When the camera panned over St. James Park, when tens of thousands of people sang the same song and waved the same towel, when the ball rolled into the goal, I was shocked. The real sense of the scene was fully presented in front of my eyes, making people immersed in it. This is what moved me the most as a fan.
When I look at things recently, I always think of a lot of things. As an amateur player, although I don’t have outstanding skills, I have always had one regret: I have never won a championship in any competition. I have participated in many finals, but either I was unlucky and lost on penalties; or the whole team suddenly lost their momentum and watched the trophy being lifted by others. I have never thought about why I lost, but I just lamented the unfairness of fate and the bad luck. When writing these words, I suddenly had an answer: I lack the belief that I must win. Yes, every time I play, I feel that as long as I play well and don’t make mistakes, winning or losing is all about luck. So I always feel depressed and can’t have fun. What will be the result if I am not afraid of mistakes and don’t look ahead and behind? I don’t know. Is it due to my personality or inertial thinking? It seems that it will take some time to get the real answer.
