Blackball

R

2003

1h 34m

Comedy

List

41%

22 Reviews

Tomatometer

42%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

An American sports agent tries to help an Englishman (Paul Kaye) after he is banned from lawn bowling.

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Audience Member

It made me smile and laugh a lot. I do think a lot of its charm comes with playing and understanding Crown Green and Lawn Bowls. You'd appreciate some of its humour if ignorant to the game, I'm sure, but that would likely come purely from stereotypes, and miss the nuances that are added. I hadn't expected the calibre of the cast, before watching! Some great names, having some real fun. It'll be one I quote, and shall watch again!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I watched this film many of times good film good acting I would highly recommend it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

It's sad that some people don't understand British humour

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

A fun easy to watch movie .Don't be expecting a masterpiece but it is good feel movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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camille l

Comédie sportive sur une discipline inconnue (ça fait partie de la blague du film), où un rustre anglais buveur de bières doit s'associer avec un aristocrate (toujours dans la blague du film), Blackball aurait pu être une petite pochade sans prétention, mais se trouve être au contraire un monument d'ennui mortel, pourtant réalisé par Mel Smith, pas un manchot d'habitude. Mais ici, Paul Kaye et James Cromwell n'ont absolument aucune alchimie, Vince Vaughn et Johnny Vega sont sous-utilisés et le lawn bowling est un sport totalement inintéressant et absolument pas cinégénique. Du coup, Blackball est à oublier.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A great movie which is worth a watch especially as its a British movie staring Paul Kaye and Johnny Vagus.All bowels and sports fans should watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Mel Smith

Director

Paul Kaye

Cliff Starkey

James Cromwell

Ray Speight

Alice Evans

Kerry Speight

Bernard Cribbins

Mutley

Vince Vaughn

Rick Schwartz

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60%

62%

The Actors

57%

73%

Keeping Mum

44%

20%

Hollywood North

30%

56%

The Big White

29%

33%

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Derek Elley

Variety

A full-on local crowd-pleaser, "Blackball" takes the genteel sport of, uh, lawn bowling and comes up with a shameless slice of Brit flag-waving comedy.

Mar 27, 2009

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 3/5

Dec 30, 2006

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Peter Watts

Time Out

It's messy, but the real problem is: it's not funny.

Jun 24, 2006

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David Aldridge

Radio Times

The laughs here are way off-target. This Brit-flop won't be bowling anyone over.

Rated: 1/5

Jul 22, 2015

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Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

Tim Firth's script is functional on a sitcom level at best, and Mel Smith's direction differs from the usual hack job only in being a bit worse (especially in the frequent montages set to rock songs).

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

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Synopsis

An American sports agent tries to help an Englishman (Paul Kaye) after he is banned from lawn bowling.

Director: Mel Smith
Producer: Steve Christian, Bruce Davey, Duncan Reid, Mel Smith
Screenwriter: Tim Firth
Production Co: Icon Entertainment International, Isle of Man Film
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 17, 2017
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital