Offside (2009 film)

Offside

Original release poster
Directed by Gian Carlo
Produced by Matthew Salleh
Written by Gian Carlo
Starring Terry Rogers
Peter Evangelista
Georgii Speakman
Chloe Gardner
Music by Matthew Salleh
Cinematography Aaron Schuppan
Edited by Aaron Schuppan
Distributed by Urtext Film Productions
Release dates
  • 25 February 2009 (2009-02-25)
Running time
 101 minutes
Country Australia
Language English

Offside is a 2009 Australian romantic comedy film written and directed by Gian Carlo Petraccaro (under the name Gian Carlo), and produced by Matthew Salleh at Urtext Film Productions.

Plot

Charlie (Terry Rogers) is the good-looking, hard-working brother who runs Uncle Vito's cafe, as well as the local soccer club. He enjoys casual success with women, but is careful to avoid commitment. The other brother,[1] Frank (Peter Evangelista) is an unemployed dreamer who studies the Joga Bonito, Total Football and Johann Cruyff, while functioning as the coach of their suburban football team. For Charlie it is all about winning;[2] for Frank it is all about the pursuit of excellence.[3]

Meanwhile, their suburban team is made up of old school friends who have a range of issues of their own. Damon (Peter Michell) is married to Isabella (Elena Carapetis), who is slowly turning her ocker husband into an Italian. Angelo (Sam Tripodi) is married to Lisa (Kimberley Hart); she wants him to focus on starting a family. Kon (Frank Romeo) and Mark (Saxon Cordeaux) are slackers; they work for Sarah (Chloe Gardner), who fancies Charlie. And Charlie fancies Katie (Georgii Speakman), the unattainable sexy blonde with a secret.

The guys are all approaching the end of their football careers. Family responsibilities, age and business pressures combine to make this their last season together and they would love to go out as champions. To this end, they embrace serious training and adopt a few questionable tactics. When Uncle Vito (Gabriel Damiani), the godfather of the piece, backs the boys to win the cup to the tune of $50,000, the tensions increase. As the team closes in on an elusive place in the Cup final, Charlie discovers true love, but has to decide if Katie is the kind of girl he can safely take home to mother.

Woven through all this is the progress[4] of the Socceroos[5] at the 2006 World Cup finals,[6] with the steady success[7][8] of the Australian team generating enthusiasm[9] amongst Australians[10] who traditionally had no interest in soccer,[11] and increasing inspiration for the boys.

"It's a fun film", said the producer, Matt Salleh. "One that's character-driven, hopefully by characters who resonate with people."[12]

Production

Script

Offside started life as a script called "2nd Generation", which focussed on the way second generation migrant children often squander the hard work of their parents. Carlo added the idea of the soccer team keeping them together beyond high school, and the concept for Offside was born.

Urtext

The film was independently financed,[13] and was the first feature[14] produced by Urtext Film Productions,[15] an independent film company based in Adelaide, South Australia. Urtext functions as a filmmakers co-op.[16] Once writer/director Gian Carlo took the script for Offside to Urtext, the collective quickly started making their first feature film.[17]

Executive producer, Matthew Salleh, said that he believed Australian "audiences want to see themselves reflected on the screen"[18] and that Offside fulfills that desire.

Filming

It was shot in less than 30 days,[19][20] in January/February 2008. Much of the work was done at night, because that was the only time the locations were available for filming. Adelaide experienced a heat wave as it usually does around that time of year and many scenes, which supposedly occur in winter, feature actors clearly dressed for an Australian summer.

The film gained enormous support from the local football community. Intense interest from numerous local businesses and individuals made private funding of the film achievable, and, as Filmink put it, "something the neighbourhood could be a part of".[21] Many members of the Adelaide United Football Club[22] attended screenings of the film.[23] Offside, explained Matthew Salleh, is "about those die-hard football fans we all know and love. They're who this film is based on, and they are the ones that want to see this film, so we're looking to them, as opposed to the mainstream film industry, to help promote this movie".[24]

Locations

The film was shot entirely in Adelaide and surrounding areas. Angelo’s home was at Burbridge Road, West Beach. Mark’s flat was at Renwick Street, Henley Beach. The Fasta Pasta restaurant on South Terrace, Adelaide was used for Uncle Vito’s coffee shop. Rigoni’s – a long-time landmark restaurant[25] in Adelaide – was the setting for the lunch where Katie and Shakira walk out.

Football matches were staged at the TK Shutter Reserve, Klemzig (home of the North Eastern MetroStars), and in the Northern Parklands. A couple of training run scenes were shot at Montefiore Hill, with the City of Adelaide as a backdrop. The office occupied by Sarah, Mark and Kon was the BCFR Accounting offices[26] in Melbourne Street, North Adelaide. The fish and chip shop was in Fourth Avenue, Klemzig. The car scenes were all shot in Woodville. The end scenes were shot at Joe’s Kiosk, Henley Beach, which has since become a famous meeting place,[27] for South Australian politicians.[28]

Cast

The main cast includes:

In order to play the role of Leechy, well-known media personality Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann flew to Adelaide for six hours. Once shooting was completed, he broadcast his afternoon drive-time radio show from a sister Adelaide radio station, before flying back to Sydney.

Soundtrack

Music by Ikochi, Fighterpilot, Laura Hill,[38] King Daddy, Pornland, Tracer,[39] Fireballs, Matthew Salleh, Maeder, M Williams, Andrew 'Pange' Niemoeller, The Huckleberry Swedes, Sonic Monkey,[40] and The Secret Game.[41]

Critical reception

The film received a positive reception from critics. An account of the premiere was broadcast nationally by SBS One,[42] the Australian television network most closely associated with soccer. Filmink embraced it as "a good underdog film",[43] placing it in the same class as The Castle, Crackerjack and Two Hands. The first screening at the Adelaide Film Festival was sold out.[44][45] The cinema manager described a later screening on 26 March 2009 at the Mercury Cinema as their "biggest night in thirty-five years".[46]

Additional awards and nominations

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vesely, Matt. "''dB Magazine'' – 'Offside', a film about two soccer-mad brothers". Dbmagazine.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  2. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' – Charlie is a winner". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' – Frank believes in the beauty of the game". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "World Cup squad aurprises". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 May 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "Rollercoaster for the Socceroos". Couriermail.com.au. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Cup final kicks SBS ratings sky high". Fddp.theage.com.au. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Socceroos prepare for their '$100 million' game". Watoday.com.au. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "World Cup 'diver' admits laying it on". Heraldsun.com.au. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  9. ↑ "Socceroos – Pride of a Nation DVD". Ezydvd.com.au. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "World Cup Germany – Introduced Australia to the ins and outs of the 'world game'". Australia: ABC. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  11. ↑ "Football, migration and the World Cup". Migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  12. ↑ Vesely, Matt. "''dB Magazine'' – "It's a fun film."". Dbmagazine.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  13. ↑ "''Film Without Rules'' – SAFC feeling pressure to keep up with independent film makers". Merge.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  14. ↑ Vesely, Matt. "''dB Magazine'' – The first feature for Urtext Studios". Dbmagazine.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  15. ↑ http://www.abr.business.gov.au/%281xpj1g45v3xrl1zqjq40qh55%29/search.aspx?StartSearch=True&SearchText=59115743792
  16. ↑ Vesely, Matt. "''dB Magazine'' – Urtext "a filmmakers co-op"". Dbmagazine.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  17. ↑ Vesely, Matt. "''dB Magazine'' – Speedy decision for Urtext to make ''Offside''". Dbmagazine.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  18. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' – Australians want to see themselves reflected on the screen". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  19. ↑ Vesely, Matt. "''dB Magazine'' – Shot in 25 days". Dbmagazine.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  20. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' – Shot in 27 days". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  21. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' – Community involvement". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  22. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' – Adelaide United support". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  23. ↑ "''SBS One'' – Adelaide United support for ''Offside''". Youtube. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  24. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' – A movie for die-hard football fans". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  25. ↑ "Rigoni's". Rigonis.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  26. ↑ "BCFR Accounting". Southaustralia.localitylist.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  27. ↑ Joe’s Kiosk – If you want something done...
  28. ↑ Joe’s Kiosk – Natasha Stott-Despoja
  29. ↑ IMDb – Terry Rogers
  30. ↑ IMDb – Peter Evangelista
  31. ↑ IMDb – Saxon Cordeaux
  32. ↑ IMDb – Georgii Speakman
  33. ↑ IMDb – Sam Tripodi
  34. ↑ IMDb – Peter Michell
  35. ↑ IMDb – Chloe Gardner
  36. ↑ IMDb – Elena Carapetis
  37. ↑ IMDb – Lehmo
  38. ↑ "Laura Hill signs with JL Publishing". Jlpublishing.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  39. ↑ "Tracer signs with Sound Contact Management". Jlpublishing.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  40. ↑ "Sonic Monkey sign with JL Publishing". Jlpublishing.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  41. ↑ "The Secret Game sign with JL Publishing". Jlpublishing.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  42. ↑ "SBS One – Coverage of the ''Offside'' premiere". Youtube. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  43. ↑ Watson, Sophie (16 March 2010). "''Filmink'' article – A good underdog film". Filmink.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  44. ↑ "''Film Without Rules'' – Sold-out Adelaide Film Festival screening". Merge.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  45. ↑ Vesely, Matt. "''dB Magazine'' – "Successful screenings at the Adelaide Film Festival"". Dbmagazine.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  46. ↑ "Mercury Cinema's biggest night in 35 years". JL Publishing. Retrieved 17 January 2012.

External links

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