User Reviews

Nick, a man living off a trust fund, has not amounted to much in his life. Finding himself without his girlfriend Zoe, who decides to try a new life in Hollywood, Nick has no idea what to do with himself. One day, he spots a young man practicing soccer movements in a school yard. The boy shows he has potential. Nick having played the sport before, becomes interested in teaching what he knows. In order to do that, he must first ask for a job at the school, something he is not prepared for.

We have seen this movie before. The older man that becomes a mentor to a group of kids, making them excel, by inspiring in them the spirit of competition and achievement. Directed by Will Frears, it is not a total waste because of the work of Hugh Dancy, a likable actor that does not have to do a whole lot to convince the audience he is none other than Nick. The comedy is predictable, although it shows a new director that no doubt will do better with the right project.

The supporting cast include Liane Balaban, playing Gabrielle, the doctor that catches Nick's eye. Young Jonathan Ramirez seems like a natural as Hector. Other players include Mamie Gummer, who has been getting quite a lot of roles in recent mainstream films.

Something that did not strike the right note was the opera sequence in which, as though by magic, we were taken to the magnificent Budapest Opera House where Gabrielle and Nick attend a performance and with some networking thrown in. One wonders why having two world famous opera venues in New York, the creators of the film decided to fly them to Hungary?