Green Street Hooligans (2005)

American journalism student Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) moves in with his sister and her family in London. There, he meets football hooligan Pete Dunham (Charlie Hunnam), who introduces him to his rough tribal world, where supporters of opposing teams battle each other before and after games. But Pete's lieutenant, Bovver (Leo Gregory), suspects Matt's motives and inadvertently reopens a years-old rivalry between Pete's brother (Marc Warren) and the leader of a rival gang (Geoff Bell).

Plot

Journalism major Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) is expelled from Harvard University after cocaine is discovered in his room. Though it belongs to his roommate, Matt is afraid to speak up because his roommate Jeremy comes from a wealthy and powerful family and is offered $10,000 for taking the blame. Matt accepts the money and uses it to visit his sister Shannon (Claire Forlani), her husband Steve (Marc Warren) and their young son Ben in London. There, Matt meets Steve's brother, Pete (Charlie Hunnam), a teacher and football coach who leads the local football hooligan firm – Green Street Elite (GSE). Steve asks Pete to take Matt to a football match. Though Pete is reluctant to take a "Yank" to a football match, he decides to take Matt to the game, thinking he might "learn something."

Matt meets Pete's friends and his firm in their local pub, and they befriend Matt, with the exception of Pete's stubborn right-hand man, Bovver who takes an immediate dislike to Matt. A few pints in and they head to the match. Afterward, Pete, Bovver, and the other firm members go off to fight some Birmingham City fans, but Matt decides that it is not for him and heads to the train home. On his way back, Matt is jumped by three Birmingham fans but is rescued by some GSE members. Though grossly outnumbered, the GSE manage to stand their ground until reinforcements chase off the Birmingham firm. Matt does well in his first true fight, is inducted into the GSE, and moves in with Pete.

The GSE firm then head to an away game against Manchester United. Matt ends up sneaking onto the train to help when they are warned that 40 Manchester United firm members are waiting for them at the station. Bovver pulls the train's emergency stop handle and at Matt's initiative the firm persuades a van driver to take them into Manchester, posing as a moving equipment van for a Hugh Grant film. When past them, the GSE charge out to attack the United firm members. They win the fight and leave, taunting the United firm.

Jealous of Matt's rise in the ranks, Bovver talks to Tommy Hatcher (Geoff Bell), the head of GSE's rival firm; the NTO. After one of the members of the GSE sees Matt meeting his father, a journalist for The Times, for lunch, they assume Matt is a "journo" as well. Bovver informs Pete of this, and Steve goes to the Abbey to warn Matt, discovering that Steve is the founder and former leader of the GSE; “The Major", who retired from football hooliganism after witnessing the death of Tommy's 12-year-old son in a fight. Bovver secretly informs Tommy and the Millwall firm of Steve's presence.

Pete angrily confronts Matt in the bathroom over his identity as a "journo" right before the Millwall firm then crash the Abbey and petrol-bomb the bar. On arrival, Tommy confronts Steve and stabs him in the neck with a broken bottle, telling him that if he dies tonight then they are both even. Bovver, who had been knocked unconscious by Tommy's right-hand man upon arriving, helps get Steve to the hospital where Pete slams Bovver for his betrayal. Shannon decides to return to the United States to ensure the safety of her family.

The two firms meet near the Millennium Dome the next day for a final brawl. Matt and Bovver show up to fight for the GSE, but Shannon turns up with Ben and is subsequently attacked in her car by Tommy's right-hand man. Matt and Bovver come to their rescue. Pete notices that Tommy is approaching the car and goads him to "finish him off." When Tommy says the NTO will end it, Pete retorts that Tommy is to blame for his son's death, having failed to protect him. Tommy snaps and tackles Pete to the ground, eventually beating him to death. Everyone on both sides gathers around Pete's dead body in shock.

Matt returns to the United States and confronts the now wealthy and successful Jeremy in a restaurant toilet; with Jeremy admitting being the cocaine stash's owner. Matt pulls out a tape recorder saying that it's his "ticket back to Harvard." Jeremy lunges at him to get the tape, but Matt fends him off with ease. Matt walks out with a smile down the street outside the restaurant singing "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles".

Cast

Elijah Wood as Matthew ‘Matt’ Buckner nicknamed "The Yank": a 20-year-old American everyman, studying journalism at Harvard University. His mother has died, and his sister lives in London with her British husband. He does not see his father very often, because he is away working most of the time.
Charlie Hunnam as Peter 'Pete' Dunham: a primary school teacher of history and physical education who runs West Ham's firm the Green Street Elite and is Steve's younger brother.
Leo Gregory as Bovver: a member of the GSE and Pete's right-hand man.
Claire Forlani as Shannon Dunham (née Buckner): Matt's older sister, married to Steve and mother of Ben.
Marc Warren as Steven ‘Steve’ Dunham nicknamed “The Major”: a successful businessman and founder of the GSE who led the firm in 1990s before retiring, now living with his wife Shannon and son Ben.
Ross McCall as Dave Bjorno: a commercial airline pilot and member of the GSE.
Rafe Spall as Swill: a member of the GSE.
Kieran Bew as Ike: a member of the GSE
Geoff Bell as Tommy Hatcher: leader of Millwall's firm the NTO.
James Allison and Oliver Allison as Benjamin “Ben” Dunham: son of Shannon and Steve, and Matt's nephew.
Terence Jay as Jeremy Van Holden: a cocaine addict and dealer, son of a senator, currently studying at Harvard University.
Joel Beckett as Terry: a retired GSE member who runs the Bridgett Abbey pub on Walsh Road, and Steve's former right-hand man.
Henry Goodman as Carl Buckner: a world-renowned journalist who is Matt and Shannon's father, Steve's father-in-law and Ben's grandfather.

Snakes Review 

Character: The streets of London are no place for the faint hearted. Pete and his GSE firm stand their ground and fight. If Snake ever visits England, he’ll be sure to meet up with the boys for a good old-fashioned brawl.

Movie: The movie fans at IMDB have given a score of 7.5, and Snake would agree. An introduction to the violent underworld of football hooliganism with plenty of tough lads and no backing down, and an all-in brawl fight to the death at the end.   

Snakes Score: 7.5