Miracle film review

certificate_PG

MIRACLE

For Americans, the US ice hockey team's victory over the heavily fancied Russians in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics is regarded as not simply one of the biggest upsets in sport but one of the greatest moments in modern history. That the occasion barely registers a blip on the radars of other countries puts the event in another perspective. Nevertheless, the significance of that showdown, coming as it did in the midst of the cold war, provides a dramatic basis for a film. So much so in fact that this is now the second take on the duel that became known as "the miracle on ice," following a 1981 TV movie starring Karl Malden in the role of the obsessive US coach Herb Brooks.

Here, Brooks is portrayed with thorough conviction by Kurt Russell, in one of his most effective performances. Russell, a massive sports fan who at one time harboured dreams of a career as a baseball player, took his responsibility towards playing the revered coach seriously, to the point of gaining weight, undergoing extensive make-up and adopting Brooks' distinctive bowl hairstyle. Russell's transformation is indicative of director Gavin O'Connor quest for authenticity; a pursuit that saw him cast ice hockey players rather than actors in the roles of the US team. The move pays off, making Miracle one of those rarities; a convincing sporting film.

In fact it isn't simply a sporting movie. Given the assumption that most viewers will already know the outcome going in, O'Connor has wisely placed the emphasis elsewhere. He has made Miracle more of a character study as it follows Brooks' ruthless pursuit of victory. His single-minded attitude brings him into conflict with his long suffering wife, (the always excellent Patricia Clarkson) and his players, who he drives to exhaustion. "I'll be your coach, I won't be your friend," Brooks warns them with one of the rousing phrases that pepper his locker room speeches.

After an opening montage comprising of news clips from the years leading up to 1980, Miracle charts the seven months following Brooks' surprising appointment up to the Olympics. It's established early on by his unlikely selections that Brooks has his own way of doing things. "I'm not looking for the best players, I'm looking for the right ones," he explains to his questioning assistant Craig (Noah Emmerich).