There's Only One Jimmy Grimble (2000)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Pretty Good

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A film about football is quite commonplace. A film about young boys who want to become VIPs in life is also quite banal. But a young boy who wants to become a star in Manchester United is as brilliant as a blue sky and as pure as white snow, and there can only be one out of a great number of candidates. Jimmy Grimble had everything against him. His unmarried mother with short-term man friends was not a comfortable family situation. He was the victim of the bullies at his comprehensive school and one of the bullies was the son of the rich tycoon who was going to invest a lot of money to build a new gym for the school. The girl he likes, more or less, at least he would like to make friends with, is a pugilist and she does not like football. The only man friend of her mother's who likes him and he likes has to get unattached and detached from another liaison before being what he wants to be, the father of this boy as well as the husband of this mother of his. And yet his success will come from a strange spiritual and virtual construction he will build in his own mind about a pair of shoes an old homeless woman gave him one day when he was being chased by the bullies. The shoes of a mythical football player. Jimmy Grimble decided in his head that he is only winning, and brilliantly at that, because of the shoes. And what will happen if the shoes are thrown away by one of the bullies? That's the film, the magic of the film, the magic of football too. And a lesson is given to us at the same time. Jimmy scores three times in the final match of the school cup, the first time by himself, and the other two times by using the bully who likes him so much (Ah! Ah!), once with a pass that leads the bully to score through a wide easy opening, and the other time by using the bully's head as a rebounding wall to score without him doing anything except getting stunned by the ball. Teamwork is fundamental in football because it confuses the opponents, provided it is creative. I guess the bully did not like it after all.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne

When I watched the film for the first ever time I was quite frankly scared. This was because of the fact I knew exactly what was going to happen. Its not that the film gives too much away, it's more the fact that the film is so poorly scripted and is so obvious. Even with such a bad storyline I am sure that it could have been a better film.Overall the acting was not too bad but the rest of the film was awful. The reason I say this is that some of the aspects of the film were totally unrealistic, and to say that the film is about football it appears that no one on the production team had ever seen it before.Some good points to take from the film are the performances of Robert Carlyle and Ben Miller.My advice, don't watch the film, ever.

Jimmy is a teenager who has all the usual worries of a teenager - bullies, girls, stepfathers and so on. However Jimmy also has the pressures of making it into his school football team as well as being one of the few City fans in a world full of Man Utd fans. When Jimmy gets a pair of old boots, things seem to turn around for him, coinciding with the school desperately needing the funds that an appearance in the final would bring.From about 15 minutes into the film you pretty much know where this is going, but the fact is that it is still quite enjoyable in a rather roughshod fashion. Not all of the plot really works though - the whole `magical boots' thing is a rather clumsy plot device that the film tries to ignore when it can, but when it can't it does seem a little silly. Likewise, Jimmy's love interest seems to take up 5 minutes but then be forgotten about. However the main thrust of this film is a sports movie and, as that, it is familiar but enjoyable.The football action is pretty poor at times but generally the feel of the film makes it work quite well - although it always irritates me to see anyone run the length of a pitch and score, magic boots or no! It will surprise no one that the film ends in Man City's ground (well, old ground now) and it looks quite good - although I can't imagine too many Utd fans will care for it. The comedy is not funny but it has a certain rough charm to it; likewise the drama is nowhere near the `Billy Elliot' level that it is aiming for, but it just about works.The cast is pretty good. McKenzie does what he is required to do by the script and that is enough. Power is maybe a bit too annoying, but again that is what the material made him. Winstone is understated but OK; Carlyle is good and makes for a good coach. Henshaw has an unpleasant character but makes a mockery of him for the audience.Overall, this is a very weak film - the football is not realistic, the drama doesn't work and it isn't funny. However it works as a rough spirited football movie that is enjoyable in a rather basic sort of way.

When I got this film out , I thought Ray Winstone & Robert Carlyle in the same film , must be good (memories of Face). Well instinct and a little knowledge can be a great thing. Both actors were great in this film. Set in Manchester and in area where social and community decline is evident. The story begins with a boy , like millions of British lads , playing football.Football is the means in which he escapes from decay and bullying. A Man City fan in a school filled with Man Utd supporters.This is the hard luck kid of the ages. His mum is a single parent and he is not impressed with the new boyfriend.The story is probably from a Scorcher cartoon , Billy's boots.The usual rivalry with a lad whose Dad is rich and uses his wealth and importance to further the prospects of his spoilt bully of a son who is Jimmy's chief tormenter and probably every boys nightmare at school, because he pulls the girls and is considered the best footballer in the school. The story is one of imagination and inspires belief. Misfortune and mistakes may hold people back , but in this film , it is that which makes the characters human. Achieving a dream which is against the odds (appearing at Man City) and finding love as well. Both Jimmy and Ma.The musical score in the film was superb. Happy Mondays , The Charlatans and Stone Roses tracks keep the story and background flowing.This was a great film , I even rate this film, better than Billy Elliot. The acting , subject and the music made this film unforgetable. Sadly , I saw this film on video not on the big screen. Again the British Film Industry is let down in the marketing department.Great film 10/10