(Or in my case, looking for Fabio Cannavaro…)
CAST: Steve Evets, Eric Cantona, Stephanie Bishop, Stefan Gumb, Gerard Kearns, Lucy-Jo Hudson, John Henshaw, Justin Moorhouse.
DIRECTOR: Ken Loach
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some damn good reasons to believe in the magic of soccer, friendship, and love… straight ahead.
IT’S LIKE THIS: Middle-aged English postal carrier Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) is having a really bad spell. Just to give you an idea of how shitty it is, he has had to contend with the following: (1) stepsons Ryan and Jess (Gerard Kearns and Stefan Gumb) basically walking all over him and treating his house like a dumpster; (2) a job that no longer excites him (let’s face it: sorting mail is very necessary but not exactly the most exciting occupation out there) and has left him seriously listless; (3) having to continue to run into ex-wife Lily (Stephanie Bishop) who he still has a jones for; and - the most terrifying and telling sign of all: (4) he hasn’t been to a football (AKA soccer) match in nearly ten years - pretty much since his hero, former Manchester United super-striker Eric Cantona, retired from the Beautiful Game.
Sensing that Eric needs an intervention (especially because of his football non-attendance), pals Meatballs and Spleen (John Henshaw and Justin Moorhouse) decide to gather up the lads and give their boy Eric some solid assists. And, yes, those are really their nicknames. When you see them, you‘ll see why - as in “He looks like he ate a shitload of ______” and “He looks like someone just punched him in the ______”. Anyhow, our loyal lads have a little exercise where they each say “the name of the person whose confidence and charisma you wish to emulate.” As you can imagine, the responses are pretty diverse and hilarious: Sammy Davis Jr., Fidel Castro (really), Gandhi, Frank Sinatra (seriously), Sarcasto (kidding), Nelson Mandela, and - last, but no way the least: Eric Cantona. Guess whose hero he is? If you said any other name other than our hero Eric‘s, then you obviously are more drunk than I am right now.
Anyhow, right after that intervention session, something miraculous happens: Eric Cantona (the actual Eric Cantona) actually materializes in our hero Eric’s bedroom - and proceeds to turn into The Most Awesome Life Coach ever. Before you know it, Eric is giving Eric some valuable lessons in how to: (1) knock some sense into his dumbass sons; (2) find some joy in his job again; (3) try to win Lily back; and - the most important of all: (4) revive his passion for soccer, er, football, er, soccer, er… you know what I mean.
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Eric and Eric, all the way. These two are a force to be reckoned with…
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Eric Cantona is one smokin’ hot Daddeh…. Yeeahhhhhh….
MOST INTENTIONALLY TOUCHING SCENE: Eric finally opening up to Lily and telling her all the things he couldn’t say to her when they were married. Sniffle…
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY TOUCHING SCENE: Eric C. telling Eric B. about the most “beautiful” moment of his soccer career - which leads to a fucking amazing goal.
HOTTEST SCENE: The flashback to the game where we actually see that fucking amazing goal. Now that’s team chemistry… And also the part where Cantona draws parallels between soccer and life. Basically, the dude was reading my mind.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Eric C. be able to help Eric B. turn his life around? Will Eric B. be inspired by Eric C. and assert his authority over his rebellious kids? Or will they just continue to run roughshod over him? And what about Ryan’s decision to hang out with a local thug? How will Eric B. solve that issue? And what about Lily? Do she and Eric B. have another chance at marriage? And will Eric C. be successful in coaching Eric B. on how to win her heart? And what about Eric Cantona himself? Is he a ghost? Or a figment of Eric B.’s imagination? Or is he a representation of Eric B.‘s stronger side? And the most important question of all: is that all I have to do to have Fabio Cannavaro show up in my living room? Just make a wish? Excuse me a moment… I have some wishing to do. Ahem.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “LOOKING FOR ERIC”: If you are a fan of soccer, Eric Cantona, director Ken Loach, or movies that combine brain, humor, heart, and sports in perfectly quirky measures. And if you don’t mind your movies to have more than a dash of grit and whimsy.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “LOOKING FOR ERIC”: If none of the above applies to you. Then you’re better off watching TRANSFORMERS 1, 2, or 3 for the 54th time.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: We’ve been very fortunate lately. Our last two reviews are two very different films, but have one thing in common: they are both excellent films. The first is MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4, the best action film I’ve seen in the last few years - and one that has single-handedly raised the bar for the genre with its dazzling blend of adrenalin, suspense, humor, and heart. The other is WE BOUGHT A ZOO, a disarmingly sweet and touching family film based on British journalist Benjamin Mee’s account of his family’s purchase and transformation of a decrepit wild-life park - and how they, in turn, transformed their lives.
Now, our next review continues that winning streak: the lovely, elegant, wise, and unique comedy/drama LOOKING FOR ERIC. Chronicling the travails of modest British postman Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) as he tries to stave off an encroaching mid-life crisis with the help of (and here’s the lovely, elegant, wise and unique part) Eric Cantona, the famed Manchester United striker who dazzled England and the world with his hypnotic combo of brash charisma, fiery athleticism, and unexpected thoughfulness. Clearly, Eric is not seeing Cantona in the flesh - but as some sort of vision. Obviously, then, some suspension of disbelief is required here.
The rules of Cinematic Suspension of Disbelief state the following: (1) set up your characters and make them sympathetic and compelling; (2) create the world of your characters; (3) set down the rules of that world, however fantastic; and (4) do your best to consistently enforce those rules. If you can do all of those things, then your film can be about furry purple creatures from Mars who are secretly controlling the World Cup through radioactive Gatorade being fed to the players, and the audience will go along for the ride. The key is great characters and a confidence in the story and world you have created for them. And, just like Eric Cantona’s signature confidence and swagger, LOOKING FOR ERIC moves with unshakable assuredness. In short, it follows the rules - and in doing so subverts expectations and wins the audience’s hearts.
It starts with the characters. We are given a riveting lead character in the form of Eric Bishop. This is a guy whose life has devolved into routine monotony. His job as a portal carrier is dull and banal, and his home life isn’t any more engaging. Without being too obvious about it, the movie gradually intimates that Eric’s problem is that he doesn’t have anything in his life that is bigger than he is - something that inspires him. The scene where Meatball, Spleen, and the rest of Eric’s pals sit around and talk about who their heroes are is a great one that sets the stage for arrival of Eric Cantona - the man whose confidence inspires Eric. And Steve Evets fearless plays all of Eric Bishop’s sides: strong, weak, and everything in between.
The movie quickly moves past the improbability of this legendary Manchester United striker appearing in Eric’s bedroom to give him some serious life advice. Director Ken Loach and writer Walt Raverty drop this plot twist on the table and basically say “Take it or leave it.” But because Eric, Lily, Ryan, Jess, Meatballs, Spleen and the rest of the characters have been vividly-drawn, and the world they inhabit so equally well-painted, we accept this development quite easily. From then on, it’s just a matter of surrendering ourselves to the ride as Cantona gradually transforms Eric’s life.
LOOKING FOR ERIC also succeeds because of its intelligent and thoughtful parallels between soccer and life. Soccer, despite its brilliance, isn’t always exciting. There are lulls and dry spells and dull spots - just like life. But then, quite unexpectedly, there are moments that simply take your breath away - when a series of seemingly indecisive and mundane passes suddenly take shape into a fierce assault that leads to a stunning goal - or a brilliant defensive save. Just like life.
Indeed, there’s a great scene where Eric asks Cantona what his most beautiful moment in soccer was - and Cantona responds that it was a pass. Eric is surprised by this, because he expected Cantona to say it was a goal. Cantona basically responds that the pass took shape and created a domino effect that brought the team together and eventually led to dynamic goal for Manchester United. It’s like I’ve always said: soccer isn’t always about the goals or the saves - and it‘s not always dynamic. But it’s also about the little moments that sing and sometimes lead to greater things. The way a small act of kindness can reverberate through time and be passed along through life, growing in magnitude as it goes.
In essence, Cantona is saying what I’ve always believed: in life and soccer, there are valleys and then there are peaks. You have to endure the former in order to get to the latter. Savor the moments of greatness while they last, and when they are gone, just have faith that they’ll come around again. This scene between Cantona and Eric never fails to take my breath away.
Also quite effective is the core love story between Eric and Lily, the wife who loved him unconditionally when they were younger - and whom he left because of his inability to adjust to married life. Now that they are much older, Eric sees the error of his ways and seeks to make amends for his past mistakes. The evolution of Eric and Lily’s relationship from guarded and wary to open and comfortable again, happens by degrees and is well-played by both Evets and Stephanie Bishop. These two have a believable chemistry that speaks of two people who have been in each other’s lives forever - in one way or another. The final shot of Eric and Lily is especially lovely, and is the perfect example of what I call the “Subtle Happy Ending”, which is often much more effective than many “Ride Off Into The Sunset Happy Endings”.
The rest of the cast is just as remarkable. Stefan Gumb and Gerard Kearns are quite good as Eric’s rebellious sons, who gradually become humbled and pay their father the respect he deserves. John Henshaw and Justin Moorhead are hilarious as Meatballs and Spleen, the ringleader of Eric’s lads from the post office. These guys best exemplify the rough-and-raunchy British humor that I love. The scene early on in the film where all the guys talk about who their heroes are is hilarious. Another great aspect of LOOKING FOR ERIC is how these guys are so fiercely loyal to Eric that they not only go out of their way to make their friend laugh in his time of need - but even go beyond the law to help him scare off a thug that has had a bad influence on his sons. This scene is both hilarious and exciting at the same time, with Meatball and Spleen and a fifty other hooligans wearing Eric Cantona masks and waving bats. Love it.
But what about Eric Cantona himself? Well, after his retirement from Manchester United and soccer in 1998/1999, Cantona went into… movies. And it’s a completely fitting career move. With his ruggedly handsome good looks, broad shoulders, and irresistible charisma, Cantona is a striking screen presence onscreen as he was on the soccer field. And since he is literally playing himself here, he is most definitely in his element. He and Steve Evets click very well, and their characters‘ “Bromance” anchors LOOKING FOR ERIC just as much as the romance between Eric and Lily does. In short, Cantona acquits himself quite well. And the guy is one fascinating conversationalist. He’s someone you can talk movies, soccer, and life with for hours. What more could you ask for in a friend? In essence, Cantona is Eric's "Guardian Angel" - and we should all be lucky enough to have one as funny, smart, brave, and loyal as him.
In the end, LOOKING FOR ERIC is a sweet movie that combines a Bromance with a more conventional romance. In fact, every time I hear one of my favorite songs, I think of this movie because the song would’ve been perfect for the soundtrack. The song is “I Don’t Want To Live Without You” by Greg Tripp. And it perfectly captures the flavor of Eric’s rekindled romance with Lily, but also his deep friendship with his hero, Eric Cantona. Or as a friend said to me recently: “I can live without you - but I don’t want to.” I actually teared up, I’m not ashamed to say.
So, this song goes out to Eric, Lily, Cantona, and to all the friends, family, and lovers out there who have traveled great distances - whether across miles of geography or miles of the heart - to reunite with one another and be together for the Holidays. Long may we reign… Oh, and this also goes out to my favorite soccer team, SSC Napoli - to celebrate their stunning 6-1 victory over Genoa recently - which has helped their Serie A profile… Brought tears to my eyes… No one could ever take your place in my heart, guys. Viva Napoli! Buon Natale, mi fratellos…
