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Blackball

2003 · 96 min

A cheeky, fast-paced underdog comedy that turns a genteel sport into a rowdy, feel-good spectacle.

Directed by
Mel Smith
Genres
Comedy
Tagline
At Last, A Sportsman The British Can Be Proud Of
Overview
Blackball follows the fortunes of Cliff Starkey, a working-class fine of lawn bowls with an exceptional talent. Wanting to take on the Aussies he manages to become regional champion, only to get banned. Sports agent Rich Schwartz picks him up and makes him so popular the Bowls Committee deem to lift the ban. Now the question is whether he can regain his form and his friends to beat the Aussies.

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Directed by
Mel Smith
Genres
Comedy
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • lightstrength 3 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 2 of 3
  • whimsicalstrength 1 of 3
  • earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • class
  • sport
  • friendship
  • family
  • redemption
Places
  • small town
  • countryside
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language strong
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror0
Humour8
Realism6
Romance3
Tension3
Darkness2
Complexity2
Emotional weight3

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Cast

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Details

Genres
comedy
Directed by
Mel Smith
Written by
Tim Firth
Starring
Paul Kaye, Johnny Vegas, James Cromwell, Bernard Cribbins, Alice Evans, Vince Vaughn, Imelda Staunton, James Fleet
Music
Stephen Warbeck
Cinematography
Vernon Layton
Runtime
96 min
Country
United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages
English

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