Cert - 15

Run-time - 1 hour 30 minutes

Directors - Glenn Leyburn, Lisa Barros D'Sa

Preparing for the 2002 World Cup the Irish team travel to Saipan to acclimatise and train, however tensions rise between manager Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan) and star captain Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke).

The heat of Saipan beats down, the hotel air conditioning isn't working; the unit filled with dust, and the food offerings largely consist of unappetising cheese sandwiches. All further fuel the fire already building up in Irish national football team captain Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke) as he looks to get his head down and train for the upcoming 2002 World Cup, which the team qualified for whilst he was off injured. However, training proves difficult when key pieces of kit, including footballs, haven't arrives on the island where the team are supposed to acclimatise and train two weeks before the tournament in Japan.

Manager Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan) receives much of the blame from Keane. The pair have rarely got on, with exchanges largely confined to the tabloids to the agitation of the other. An awkwardness often settles amongst the team and FA executives present, despite attempts at jokes and camaraderie - also to the frustration of the team captain who suggests that no one is taking anything seriously. Against the heat the rising tensions are thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

Coogan and Hardwicke fully invest in their characters, not needing to verbalise just how much they rub against each other, eventually when not even in the same room. With McCarthy uncertain how to deal with Keane, while the latter berates the manager to his face - leading to a particularly explosive, now infamous, finale.

Having personally known nothing about the events, or relationship, at hand directors Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa, previous behind 2019's underseen emotional cancer drama Ordinary Love, make a quickly engaging and entertaining drama. One that isn't without its humour. In fact, there are a good number of well-placed chuckles throughout which naturally slot in and help keep things moving for the mere 90-minute run-time.

While for the characters tensions rise the development of the beyond rocky relationship for the audience is smooth and consistent. Paul Fraser's screenplay creates much of the spark for Keane and McCarthy which is turned into an eventual fire-with-fire feud by Hardwicke and Coogan's performances, with much the spotlight naturally going to Hardwicke's increasingly furious character.

Saipan isn't made to be a deep, gritty drama. It's centering on a football feud where on figure wants to win the World Cup and the other wants to unite his team and keep them in good spirits to represent their country as best they can, with the hope of winning. It all makes for a well-paced and developed rift which we see grow to its explosive peak, the cold distance is already there at the start. Captured in easily engaging and entertaining fashion which makes for a rock solid dramatic feud.

Four stars