Saipan review: Éanna Hardwicke is utterly magnetic as Roy Keane in dramatisation of infamous feud

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Popular movies based on real football stories often focus on the lives of famous figures, like legendary managers such as Brian Clough – as seen in The Damned United – or talented players like George Best, depicted in the film Best.

As a huge cinema fan, I was really drawn into this film, which focuses on the dramatic events surrounding the Irish football team’s preparations for the 2002 World Cup. While many people were involved, it’s the intense falling-out between manager Mick McCarthy and captain Roy Keane that really drives the story. Directors Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn – who previously made ‘Ordinary Love’ and ‘Good Vibrations’ – have created a captivating fictional take on what happened.

These days, arguments in sports happen all the time and quickly spread online. However, when Roy Keane, the captain of the Republic of Ireland, left his team’s training camp on Saipan just before the tournament began, it became a massive news story. It completely overshadowed the headlines about David Beckham’s broken foot, pushing it off the front and back pages of newspapers.

Honestly, the reaction in Ireland was huge, and really split people. It wasn’t just any player leaving, you see – Roy Keane was a genuinely world-class footballer. Brian Clough and then Alex Ferguson at Manchester United had really shaped him into this incredible, powerful midfielder, and everyone expected him to be the one to finally lead the national team to success. It felt like a massive blow, and people had very strong opinions about it.

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The story revisits the exciting time when Ireland qualified for the World Cup for just the third time in 2001, despite a key player, Roy Keane, being injured. However, it soon becomes clear there’s friction between Keane, portrayed with intense energy by Éanna Hardwicke, and the calm manager, Mick McCarthy, played by Steve Coogan, as the tournament approaches.

Despite being a brisk 90 minutes long, the film has a wonderfully subtle build. It centers on the likable McCarthy, from Barnsley, as he tries to find a middle ground between his dedicated star player’s strict lifestyle – focused on diet, avoiding alcohol, and rigorous training – and the rest of the team, who seem to be treating the situation more like a vacation.

The combination of intense heat, humidity, broken air conditioning, and a series of logistical problems – like bumpy fields, not enough footballs, and a lack of sunscreen – made it clear things weren’t going to go well, even though the two main people involved were trying to work together.

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The peak of the team’s conflict – a meeting where long-held resentments, miscommunications, and even differing ideas of national identity all came out – was emotionally intense. While it offered a release, it was also deeply sad. The script, written with great insight by Paul Fraser, makes you feel empathy for both McCarthy and Keane, particularly knowing Keane never got another chance to play in the World Cup.

Hardwicke, known for his BAFTA-winning work on the BBC drama The Sixth Commandment, is captivating as the Irish captain. He perfectly embodies the character’s intense and mysterious nature, while also showing the vulnerable person underneath the tough exterior.

Steve Coogan delivers a subtle yet powerful performance, and is quickly becoming as well-known as Michael Sheen for his portrayals of famous and controversial figures. Alice Lowe and Harriet Cains shine as the footballers’ wives, providing much-needed humor when their husbands get too self-important.

Honestly, if you don’t know much about football, you might think ‘Saipan’ is just for die-hard fans. But trust me, it’s so much more! The acting is incredible, and the script is surprisingly clever and insightful – it’s really about life’s challenges, not just the sport. It genuinely has something to offer even if you’re not a football person.

Authors

Jeremy Aspinall

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2026-01-21 20:37