This one for me has quite a mixed review. At first I quite liked the film – I’ve never seen anything with Gerard Butler in it and had to google him as I wasn’t sure if he really is scottish or if he was trying to do the accent (he is), but a film which is based on football is always a good thing in my book. The football matches with him edited in kind of amused me and I thought it was all set to go in a good way. He’s retired from the game and wants to be a sports presenter on tv.

BUT THEN

Enter three women, one of which you have had some respect for as an actress, playing dim, WAG-esque ladies throwing themselves at the footballers feet, and suddenly things aren’t so enjoyable any more.

The football takes a back seat. Catherine Zeta Jones was particularly annoying. Sorry Catherine. Uma Thurman I was disappointed in… Uma, you were fabulous in Pulp Fiction and all those other films around then – what are you doing?! Dennis Quaid is the husband who throws around cash to make sure his daughter is included and sweeps Gerard Butler off his feet with flash cars and more. As Shaun put it, “Dennis Quaid is going to be a moral quandary in this film” (which he was).

BUT

The football element of the film gets quite lovely at times – a former player who becomes coach for kids and shows them how to play. I wish it had been a bigger focus rather than one for the women – oh, and the three annoying women are married too, of course. Apart from the one who isn’t any more. Anyway, Gerard Butler was married and he’s trying to win his wife back (played by Jessica Biel who was quite good) who is about to marry someone else anyway.

Oh, and they have a child, who is in the football team of course.

There were funny moments, and I have to admit, were it not for the annoying women I would have enjoyed this much more – they were pointless, irritating and annoying and the story would have worked just fine without Gerard Butler having all the women throwing themselves at him.

So yes, a bit disappointing, not my kind of film. If you forget the bits with the married women are in there, it’s quite enjoyable!

Sorry.

Playing For Keeps is released on DVD on the 20th May 2013.