A One Mann’s Movies review of “Saipan”. (2026, 4*, 15).
I missed “Saipan” when it was released in January so, in the run-up to England winning the World Cup, I thought I’d catch up with it now! I don’t have a particular interest in football, but – like “Jaws” not being about the shark – this is about the individuals involved rather than the glorious game.
Saipan, by the way, is in the Northern Mariana Islands which was – we learn – the place where the Enola Gay took off from for its bombing of Hiroshima.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
In the run-up to the 2002 world cup, the conflict between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy reaches a head as the Irish team arrive in Saipan for training and acclimatisation to find a rock strewn training ground, a dodgy hotel menu and a lack of either footballs or sunscreen. But apart from that, it’s all fine!
Certification:
UK: 15; US: NR. (From the BBFC website: “Very strong language.”)
Talent:
Starring: Éanna Hardwicke, Steve Coogan, Harriet Cains, Alice Lowe, Jamie Beamish, Peter McDonald, Jon Culshaw.
Directed by: Lisa Barros D’Sa & Glenn Leyburn.
Written by: Paul Fraser.
Running Time: 1h 31m.
Review:
Positives:
- This is an intriguing story which (other than the vaguest inkling) I knew nothing about. And the story pitches it cleverly such that I was genuinely on the fence about who I should be rooting for: the temperamental but brilliant perfectionist (Keane) who is furious about the state of the Irish team’s preparedness for the World Cup; or the ‘nice guy doing his best’ (McCarthy) to keep the team spirit up against an ever-rising tide of media pressure.
- There are two terrific performances from Éanna Hardwicke and Steve Coogan as Keane and McCarthy. Coogan is really convincing as the man being pushed to the very edge of frustration. Although always dogged by the shadow of Partridge, he really is a very accomplished dramatic actor. In contrast, Éanna Hardwicke is not an actor I know at all, but he is also really engaging, He gets the balance right behind the rather icy loner in the team-camp and the scenes with his wife (Harriet Cain) that nicely humanises him. There’s also a nice voice impersonation of Sir Alex Ferguson by Jon Culshaw.
- The script by Paul Fraser has some great lines in it. Some of my favourites:
McCarthy: “What makes him a great player on the pitch makes him a pain in the ass off it.”
McCarthy: “You’re unmaneageable”. Keane: “No, it’s you that can’t manage.”
McCarthy to Keane: “Other. People. Matter.”
- There are moments of high comedy: a giant Roy Keane head that keeps appearing is inspired. A cranky air-conditioner in Keane’s shabby hotel room is emblematic of the state of play.
- The script is also great in establishing a great sense of time by interspersing the action with live TV and radio footage from the era. There are some great quotes from this, my favourite being “The story is gripping the airwaves, the front pages and even the internet“!
- The editing is really slick. One particularly nice scene sees Keane open an airline window blind to segue into an Saipan-arrivals-sequence played against a Japanese version of “Flashdance”. This is one of a number of really nice needle drops within the film, ending with The Walker Brothers’ “No Regrets” – a perfect choice – over the end titles.
Negatives:
- We are introduced to Dickie (Jamie Beamish) from the Irish FA, appearing to hand out a whole bunch of brown envelopes, presumably stuffed with cash, but without any context. Frankly, I was confused.
- Neither Keane nor McCarthy were involved in the production (despite apparently being asked) so the film’s accuracy needs to be taken with a strong pinch of salt.
Summary Thoughts:
I don’t particularly like football. But I liked this. The direction is slick; the script is engaging and the historical context is well maintained. If we did our Flickering Dreams special on ‘great football films’ again, this would be a strong contender.
But the film can hardly be taken as a ‘documentary’. Mick McCarthy allegedly only lasted 20 minutes of watching the film before he walked out. And the wounds are clearly still shallow on this one: he was quoted as saying:
“It depicts me as an easy-going, northern numpty who was there for a f***ing good time and not to win, and I wasn’t competitive. If anyone wants to come and f***ing tell me that, I’ll have a fight with him on the f***ing stage.”
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtau1ro7unE.
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