A new film about the infamous rift between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy at the 2002 World Cup is winning plaudits for its focus on character rather than on-pitch action. Titled Saipan, the movie explores the explosive bust-up that saw Keane leave the Republic of Ireland squad before a ball was kicked in the tournament.
Screenwriter Paul Fraser explained that the film deliberately avoids recreating football matches, instead setting most of the drama in a decrepit hotel. The only sporting sequence comes when Keane, played by Éanna Hardwicke, kills a tennis ball dead on a court, confirming his athletic prowess.
Fraser, who also wrote Shane Meadows’ TwentyFourSeven, argued that traditional football films often fail because they focus on clichéd last-minute winners. ‘The emotion you get from a game is insane, but it doesn’t transfer well to cinema,’ he said. He recalled how TwentyFourSeven was originally about a grassroots football team, but the action felt flat and the story was moved to a boxing ring.
Stephen Glynn, a lecturer in film at De Montfort University, noted that football movies have boomed since the launch of the Premier League. He attributed this partly to the gentrification of the game, captured in Keane’s own ‘prawn sandwich brigade’ comment.
Saipan has already become a hit in Ireland; it opens in the UK this month.
