Saipan

It’s 2002, and Ireland have just qualified for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Led by star captain Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke), the team travel to the Pacific island of Saipan for what Keane expects to be intensive training to prepare for the tournament. Instead, he’s greeted with a dangerous training ground that doesn’t even have any footballs. The disaster causes friction between Keane and English-born manager Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan), ultimately leading to Keane’s infamous walkout that made headlines around the world. Filmmakers Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa retell this sporting controversy in Saipan, a lean drama that taps into themes of Ireland’s national identity.

For those unfamiliar with football history, snippets of news reports during the opening do a solid job of establishing the real-world reaction to the events that are about to unfold. An interview question aimed at McCarthy, asking if there’s still tension between himself and Keane, likewise tells audiences everything they need to know. The feature doesn’t waste a moment of its 90-minute runtime as the day of the tournament grows closer, and the rivalry between captain and manager nears boiling point. Both Hardwicke and Coogan are excellent throughout. Although their performances are largely subdued, they effectively capture the heated atmosphere between them. It’s only when everything comes to a head that they’re free to let loose during an intense confrontation.

While the poor facilities and conditions give Keane a justifiable reason to be angry, the script also questions whether his time at Manchester United has turned him into a spoiled brat. After all, he’s the only one who has an issue with the cheese sandwiches being served while his teammates enjoy themselves. Remarks regarding McCarthy’s place of birth, alongside comments about the Irish team being perceived as a “cabaret act” on the world stage, similarly serve to explore Irish identity at the time. Although neither aspect goes particularly deep, they add some interesting texture to the drama.

Full of sharp humour and feel-good montages, Saipan frames itself more as a light-hearted sports drama than biting exposé of what happened on the titular island. Carried by magnetic performances from Hardwicke and Coogan, the feature stands as a thoroughly captivating and wholly accessible insight into a pivotal point in football history.