REVIEW: 80 For Brady resists the gush for some magic moments

It could so easily have been a torrent of sentimental gush, and there are times when it totters. But in the end 80 For Brady conjures a sweet and touching little dive into those treasured moments where sport and true life mix and mingle.

You’d probably get more out of this if you had more than the vaguest idea of Tom Brady is; who the other doubtless real people are; and just what on earth is happening out there on the Super Bowl pitch.

But even so 80 For Brady still puts across the magic that happens when sport shows us in real life the things we are capable of – and, just as intriguingly and indeed beautifully, those equally precious moments where it’s real life that shows sport the way to go.

There is plenty of girly-gushing in this, tons of jumping up and down in sisterly OTT excitement, but it’s a film that ultimately conveys the passion that sport inspires in us and how that passion can feed back into sport itself, completing a happy circle.

80 For Brady comes inspired by the true story of four best friends who live life to the fullest when they take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl to see their hero Tom Brady play. One of the friends is fearing a resurgence of cancer; she wants one last blast; and a ticket competition for them all to go and see their idol seems to be their best hope… hope duly realised.

But their quirky characters and their eccentricities don’t half get in the way en route. When they are not downing super-fiery wings, they are gatecrashing posh parties; and when they are not doing that, they are – oops – losing their tickets. Yep they are going wild, relying on events and everyone else to keep up with them.

There was a time – thankfully we’ve moved beyond it – when you couldn’t go and see The Rolling Stones without someone unchivalrously totting up their combined ages and announcing it in mock horror. You’d get a considerably higher sum with this lot – Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field – though that would be desperately ungentlemanly.

Even so, it’s difficult to completely dismiss the thought that someone somewhere is making this film because they think it’s rather wonderful that these women can do anything terribly much at all at their age.

But it all sweeps along very nicely in the end, its starry cast not overpowering it and the movie catching a genuine sense of those heart-in-the-mouth moments that make sport so gripping and ultimately so inspiring.

And Tom Brady, turning up as Tom Brady of course, shows he’s really not a bad actor – in addition to all his legendary heroics out there on the pitch. There are a few moments which seem oddly flat, like getting the tickets in the first place; but the humour is sharp where it needs to be and for the most part, the sentimentality of it all is kept nicely in check. Instead, surprisingly, it’s a rather nice movie with plenty to say about life, sport and the times the two are one and the same thing.

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