Le plus beau des combats

SYNOPSIS

Never one to shy away from controversy, Denzel Washington tackles the potentially explosive combination of football and racial desegregation in 1970s America in this drama based on a true story. When two Virginia high schools are combined, Washington supersedes his white counterpart Will Patton as head coach of the Titans football team. Inevitably, this causes friction between them and among the players, as they try to overcome hostility and prejudice in the pursuit of sporting glory. Washington gives a typically solid performance, but it's Patton - ruthlessly effective in No Way Out - who quietly steals the show. This slickly made movie from director Boaz Yakin pushes all the right emotional buttons, even if it doesn't linger long in the memory.