It was an absolutely wonderful film, a brilliant story about a tremendous soul who helped to bring people together. Who didn't seem to have a nasty bone in his body and who just seemed to personify dignity and grace, in addition to being a tremendous athlete. The performances by David Cross and John Henshaw were astonishing. Great ensemble cast, wonderful direction, just a really outstanding production
Plot summary
The Keeper tells the extraordinary love story of a young Englishwoman and a German PoW who together overcome prejudice, public hostility, and personal tragedy. While visiting a PoW camp near Manchester at the end of WWII, Margaret Friar, daughter of the manager of the local football team, notices young German soldier Bert Trautmann. Her father is so taken by Bert's prowess as a goal-keeper that he gets him out of the camp to play for his local team. Margaret and Bert's love blossoms despite local hostility and the resentment of the German PoWs. In the meantime, Bert's heroics in goal are noticed by Manchester's City Football Club. Rather than going back to Germany like nearly all the other camp inmates, Bert marries Margaret and signs for Man City. His signing causes outrage to thousands of Man City fans, many of them Jewish. But Margaret wins support from an unexpected direction: Rabbi Altmann, a Man City supporter who fled the Nazis, who publishes an open letter opposing the campaign against Bert. Bert's path to acceptance begins and peaks at the 1956 FA Cup Final when he secures victory for Man City by playing on despite breaking his neck. Yet fate twists the knife for both Margaret and Bert. Alienated and alone, Margaret's and Bert's loyalty to each other will be put to the test once more. Heartbroken, Bert wants to give up. Equally heartbroken, Margaret insists that they move forward and that he keeps on playing.
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A brilliant story. So well done
An interesting film that doesn't need goal line technology.
Interesting film that I missed on its cinema release.
I know of the ex-professional footballer, Bert Trautmann and some of his well publicised exploits. However the trouble with these biopics is you don't know fully what is true or added for artistic purposes.
The film begins with Trautmann in a German Prisoner of War camp in East Lancashire, U.K. It is interesting seeing a P.O.W. film from a German perspective! Films like The Great Escape and Escape To Victory it ain't!
The stadium scenes such as the old, old Wembley stadium are cleverly staged using CGI.
Has some good U.K. casting including Maggie Smith. The cast is fully Anglo-German. Like Trautmanns career!
A film that seems to have slipped between the goalposts, pardon the pun. Very good viewing.
A manipulative biopic with some plus points
A script tailormade to manipulate audiences, even though it is a biopic with some historical facts. The plus points: Ken Loach's star John Henshaw ("Angel's Share","Looking for Eric") is believable. Very effective is the rendering of "Abide with me" by the lead actress Freya Mavor.