On the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Irish captain Roy Keane forfeits his place in the squad at the team's preparation base in Saipan, following a heated disagreement with the Irish manager Mick McCarthy.
Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan) is a player turned manager taking charge of the Republic of Ireland football team as they make a rare appearance in a global tournament. The media is perhaps rightfully crediting this to Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke), whose success as part of a very professional Manchester United organization has elevated the national team, whether McCarthy likes to admit it or not. When they arrive in Saipan however, they are welcomed to a junky and crumbling hotel (Keane compares it to Fawlty Towers), allocated unsafe training facilities and served sandwiches for food. Tensions begin to spiral out of control and into the media spotlight. Coogan, now one of England’s most reliable character actors, is excellent but it is Hardwicke who steals it and their final, blistering confrontation is an escalating thrill to watch.
Ireland/UK 2025 Lisa Barros D'Sa & Glenn Leyburn 91m
