Saipan
"Anger. Management."
On the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Irish captain Roy Keane forfeits his place in the squad at the team's preparation base in Saipan, following a heated disagreement with manager Mick McCarthy.
Top Cast
-
Éanna Hardwicke
Roy Keane
-
Steve Coogan
Mick McCarthy
-
Alice Lowe
Fiona McCarthy
-
Peter McDonald
Mick Byrne
-
Harriet Cains
Theresa Keane
-
Jamie Beamish
Dickie Moloney
-
Alex Murphy
Eddy Power
-
Oliver Coopersmith
Jason McAteer
-
Jack Hickey
Niall Quinn
Overview
On the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Irish captain Roy Keane forfeits his place in the squad at the team's preparation base in Saipan, following a heated disagreement with manager Mick McCarthy.
Rating
6.1
/ 10
13 Reviews 2 Popular
1 Reviews
-
CinemaSerf6 Jan 29, 2026Talk about open goal? I remember the controversy back in 2002 as the Irish team struggled to prepare for their World Cup campaign. You’d also have had to have been living under a large rock not to have known that Roy Keane was an independently minded individual whom even Alex Ferguson had difficulty in keeping under control, and that Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan) was charged with managing a national side with less resources that the average English championship side. When they arrive in Saipan, they discover a pitch better suited for sheep, an hotel that had seen better days and believe it or not, they have no footballs! What now ensues had me firmly in Keane’s (Éanna Hardwicke) corner. This depiction clearly showcases him as the only professional amongst some players bent on boozing, golfing and enjoying themselves. Now I dare say that Messrs. McAteer, Quinn et al might dispute their characterisation here but the thrust of just how amateur things were is hard to disbelieve. With that established, and having already taken a swipe at the FAI gravy-train blazer-brigade, we settle down to something designed to expose the angry and sometimes irrational conflict between the captain and the coach - and for me, this is where it just doesn’t work. Hardwicke does fine, but Coogan is completely unconvincing. Indeed, had the real McCarthy been that inept I doubt they’d have made their flight from Dublin in the first place. There simply isn’t anywhere near enough effort put into his personification, especially for people who don’t follow this sport, and what we end up with here is something more akin to a shadow of the man. At times, the production is a mess with some actuality quite clumsily mixed in with the drama that makes it difficult at times to separate fact from fiction, and so many of the set-piece confrontations appear dramatically contrived as this over-written affair lurched to what I felt was a remarkably shallow evaluation of some very highly paid, spoilt, brats. I did like that fact that his paper boy wore a Beckham shirt, though.
Trailers & Clips
Recommendations
The true story of negotiations between implacable enemies — the secret back-channel talks, unlikely friendships and quiet heroics of a small but committed group of Israelis, Palestinians and one Norwegian couple that led to the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords.
Oslo
6.5 2021
The story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovers one of the most significant social scandals in recent times – the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom to Australia and other Commonwealth countries. Almost singlehandedly, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice.
Oranges and Sunshine
7.0 2010
In this sprawling, fictionalized history of the Black Panthers, 1960s Oakland becomes a war zone as the Panthers battle for the right to exist.
Panther
6.3 1995
"End of the Spear" is the story of Mincayani, a Waodani tribesman from the jungles of Ecuador. When five young missionaries, among them Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, are speared to death by the Waodani in 1956, a series of events unfold to change the lives of not only the slain missionaries' families, but also Mincayani and his people.
End of the Spear
6.3 2005
When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.
The Kill Team
6.5 2019
A sweeping drama set in the chaotic aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, where the life of top UN diplomat Brazilian Sérgio Vieira de Mello hangs in the balance during the most treacherous mission of his career.
Sergio
6.6 2020
In the late 1990s, up-and-coming mixed martial artist Mark Kerr aspires to become the greatest fighter in the world. However, he must also battle his opioid dependence and a volatile relationship with his girlfriend Dawn.
The Smashing Machine
6.4 2025
A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.
The Young One
6.9 1960
The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other's lives.
Hands of Stone
6.6 2016
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Hounddog
6.4 2008