‘The Beautiful Game’ Review: Bill Nighy Brings Heart And Soul To Inspiring Film Focused On Second Chances For Soccer Team Of Homeless Players

Coming off a well-deserved first-ever Oscar nomination, Bill Nighy has a new worthwhile movie to add to his highly impressive filmography. The Beautiful Game is, on its surface, another well-worn story of a ragtag team of misfits coming together for validation not just in their football (i.e. soccer) skills but, more importantly, in their lives. And even though we have seen countless underdog stories like this one set on a playing field, we actually haven’t seen one quite like this in terms of the welcome spotlight it puts on the homeless population among us. The timing is particularly pertinent as many major cities seem to a war going on with the homeless, a complete lack of empathy toward what gets a person to this point in life and a solution for lifting them out of it.

The Beautiful Game is not focused on the politics of their lot in life, but rather using athletic skills and a little hope to take them off the streets and into the global eye as part of the Homeless World Cup. It’s a sporting event that takes place nearly every year since being founded in 2003 and so far has helped 1.2 million homeless people see some possible light by way of participation in this universal street soccer event.

The setting for this one is Rome, and at its center is a focus on the English team, a spirited if somewhat disparate and oddball bunch chosen for this unusual event, a Special Olympics of a very different stripe. Bringing them together is grieving widower Mal (Nighy), who has a successful background in the sport but now devotes his life to scouting potential team members for each annual competition (you only get to do this once).

As the date for going to Rome approaches, he spots a real raw striker named Vinny (Micheal