I found this a delightful surprise. A bit slow to begin with but as the dry nature of the humor, much of it deadpan, kicks in it is the acting more than the story that leaves a memory. The casting is excellent throughout, aided and abetted by well thought out costumes and off beat locations. The Australians act like Australians and the rugby mob in the north of England are equally well presented. Great attention has been paid to the detail, deliberately understated and full of Kaurismäki style black humor. The events depicted in this film are portrayed in an improbable way but this adds to the almost dreamlike pace of the story. The lack of any real villains is not a shortcoming. Everyone is in their own way a hero and as everyone knows Rugby League in Australia is now a well patronized sport, particularly in the Eastern states. This little gem is currently being shown on cable TV. Catch it if you can, you will not be disappointed.
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