Up 'n' Under [1998]

Cast - none of them had clearly seen, let alone played rugby before, so why they were cast in a film where this is focus is beyond me. Neil Morrisey was great in men behaving but cannot pull off being a yokel who sits in the pub all day, and Samantha Janus, a clear attempt to save the film with the injection of a bit of sexual tension, is completely inappropriate and has a large bottom. She is not at all sexy and just comes across as rather pathetic.

Writing - story is absurd. The idea that a bunch of unfit chain smoking and drinking yokels could defeat a highly trained side is ridiculous. Plus, it is illegal for mixed full contact rugby to be played over the age of thirteen. Having played some rugby myself and watching the directing, it is clear that anyone of the team could have been put out of action by one tackle, but a girl could have been put in hospital. The directing of the action scenes is awful, as the game is played so slowly, the play is completely unrealistic and people jog in tries. The idea that some who had England trials could have dropped to such a level is laughable. The cuts are poor, and the acting is awful, punctuacted by a lot of unecessary swearing and aggression.

Rather than being a good depiction of, I found this film an insult to the rugby world, clearly low budget and poorly directed, and how it got any good reviews is a complete mystery to me.


I wanna play rugby   March 25, 2000
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

A little bit slow on the uptake, but none the less - a feel good factor film. Slightly predictable, but shows the limits and risks in which the working class take their lives. Excellent camera footage and editing shots. Director, job well done, full-stop end of story. Now, I'm going to direct my own true to life film.