Saipan Review: Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy's Epic Clash Transformed into Amusing State-of-the-Nation Psychodrama
Éanna Hardwicke and Steve Coogan take centre stage as the furious Manchester United star Roy Keane and his luckless manager Mick McCarthy in this compelling retelling of one of football's most infamous walkouts. This sports drama doubles as a true-life psychodrama that captures a pivotal moment for the Irish republic.
The Explosive 2002 World Cup Incident That Divided a Nation
In the tense run-up to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, the entire nation of Ireland was convulsed with dismay when their mercurial star player Roy Keane dramatically stormed out of the team's chaotic training camp on the Pacific island of Saipan. Following a colossal row with manager Mick McCarthy, Keane boarded the first available plane home, leaving behind a trail of controversy and unanswered questions that would haunt Irish football for years to come.
The film compellingly explores whether Ireland's key performer was genuinely letting the side down through petulant behaviour, or whether Keane represented a true Irish patriot demanding higher standards of training and management that his English-born manager simply wasn't providing. This fundamental conflict between player and manager became a national obsession, dividing public opinion and creating lasting rifts within the football community.
Strong Performances and Theatrical Intensity
Film-makers Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa deliver a capably told, straightforward narrative that benefits enormously from strong central performances. Éanna Hardwicke masterfully conveys Keane's tense, opaque quality, capturing his mutely provocative air of entitlement and his clear belief in himself as a star operating in a different league from his fellow players. Hardwicke particularly excels at portraying Keane's inability to resist briefing the press, a character trait that significantly contributed to the escalating crisis.
Steve Coogan brings his considerable talents to the role of Mick McCarthy, presenting a manager who cannot quite bring himself to make nice with his star player, perhaps recognising that niceness on that level simply cannot be manufactured in such high-stakes circumstances. The film functions almost like a theatrical chamber piece, placing audiences directly in the room as these two formidable male egos clash spectacularly.
Exploring Complex National and Footballing Identities
One of the drama's most interesting dimensions is its exploration of the English-Irish divide that underpinned the conflict. Keane cannot quite conceal his contempt for McCarthy's credentials and for his hero-worship of former Ireland manager Jack Charlton, another Englishman. This national identity tension adds layers to their personal conflict, though it's notable that Keane would listen to the terse advice of Alex Ferguson, a Scot, suggesting the issues were more complex than simple national prejudice.
McCarthy himself represents a fascinating figure - English born but with deep Irish roots, holding an Irish passport and maintaining a proud sense of Irish heritage. He knew from the outset that his trickiest player would be the legendarily difficult Keane, and the film effectively demonstrates how this prediction proved devastatingly accurate.
Unanswered Questions and Lasting Legacy
The film raises compelling questions about whether Keane genuinely believed the training facilities were unacceptable, or whether he simply anticipated defeat and wanted to distance himself from the inevitable calamity. If the latter were true, then subsequent events made Keane appear somewhat absurd, as Ireland performed creditably without their star player.
While the film powerfully captures the immediate confrontation between the two men, it perhaps gives slightly less sense of the profound angst their conflict created back home in Ireland, where the Saipan incident became a national talking point that transcended sport.
This amusing yet thought-provoking vignette of sporting history and national identity arrives in cinemas at an interesting time for football drama. Saipan is currently showing in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with its UK release scheduled for 23 January, offering British audiences a chance to revisit one of football's most dramatic fallings-out through a fresh theatrical lens.
