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Making football appeal to international audiences – especially in the US – is no easy task, but after the international success of Bend It Like Beckham and with the aid of official backing from FIFA - which means numerous cameos from a glitterati of football mega stars (Beckham included) - things look promising for Goal! So promising in fact this is the first of a proposed trilogy

It is the ultimate boys’ football fantasy film - a modern day Roy of the Rovers tale - that follows the rags-to-riches story of 19 year-old Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker), a Mexican immigrant living in LA. Working as a pool cleaner by day and a kitchen porter by night in order to make ends meet, Santiago dreams of a life as a professional football player. The dream soon becomes a possibility when he is spotted by ex-professional footballer Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane), who stumbles upon Santiago playing for his local team while on holiday with his family. He promises Santiago a trial for premiere league team Newcastle – he’s just got to get to Newcastle first.

Santiago’s eventual arrival in Newcastle brings along the expected culture shock as he attempts to grasp the Jordie accent and the dramatic climate change, it didn’t require much acting from Becker who cheerily admits that: “At the beginning I thought they were speaking German.” Yet while the rather dreary weather plays a prominent part in the film, Newcastle has never looked so good. While a more glamorous, London-based, football team such as Chelsea or Arsenal might have seen a more immediate choice, Newcastle does looks pretty impressive. And having been given full access to the St. James’ Park stadium and the players, the film is bolstered by scenes of the Newcastle first team intermingling with characters from the film – even Alan Shearer reveals his thespian side with a brief speaking part. Yet the cynic does have to question the amount of money being made in advertising revenue, considering the ‘addidas’ logo has so much film-time it could credibly feature as a character in itself.

Originally enfant terrible Michael Winterbottom was attached to direct the project, and you can’t help but wonder what it would have turned out like if he’d been in charge; 9 Songs meets 24 Hour Party People meets Bend It Like Beckham perhaps? And while director Danny Cannon (Judge Dredd) has not shied away from addressing the darker aspects of the footballing world, this is an unashamed morality tale.

Yet it’s true that bad-boys have more fun, and while Becker is confident in his first leading-role, it is the supporting side that really bolsters the film, namely Alessandro Nivola who plays star Newcastle player, and black sheep of the team, Gavin Harris. With his mop of designer highlights, obligatory Sports car and penthouse bachelor pad he possess all the correct footballing credentials, and attempts to lead innocent Santiago astray with his party antics.

Speaking about the inspiration that Nivola for Harris’ characteristics he conceeds: "I modelled him after a famous Arsenal Player….Iain Wright. I wanted to find some one who was famous for coming out with daft comments and having an incredible ego and amazing vanity but being loveable nonetheless – he seemed to be the perfect model of someone you couldn’t help but adore even though he was a total madman.” And that’s the attraction of Harris, his traditional tabloid footballing actions turn him into a caricature, but you still can’t fail to find his predictable predicaments amusing. However this being Roy of the Rovers of sorts, the moral high-ground stands firm and with the guidance of Glen Foy and fictional Newcastle manager, Erik Dornhalm (Marcel Iures) – a hybrid of Arsen Venger and Swen Goran Erickson – means that the bad-boy-does-good in the end.

It is the deft British sense of humour that comes to the rescue and saves Goal! from its glossy production values and injects a bit of northern soul into the piece. While references to ‘the toon’ may be lost on international audiences, it’s good to know that the film has not become so hegemonized by Hollywood that its lost it sense of place. Goal! is 90 minutes (plus extra time and penalties) of enjoyable - if somewhat unbelievable entertainment.

Helen Cowley