United Passions is a 2014 English-language French drama film.
A group of passionate European mavericks join forces on an ambitious project: the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). An epic, untold story that brings to life the inspiring saga of the World Cup and the three determined men who created it. Driven by their vision and passion, Jules Rimet (Gérard Depardieu), João Havelange (Sam Neill), and Sepp Blatter (Tim Roth), overcame their doubts and fought obstacles and scandals to make the World Cup a reality. Spanning the tumultuous 20th Century, this timeless saga celebrates the game that, despite it all, became not just a worldwide sport, but an expression of hope, spirit, and unity.
A hagiography of the suits behind world soccer, past and present, it premiered at the 2014 Cannes Festival, but was released in the US the week after the major FIFA corruption arrests, and the same day Sepp Blatter stepped down. note Cost $30 million to make, $25 million of which came from FIFA's own coffers, and earned $918 in its opening weekend.
United Passions provides examples of:
- Alternate DVD Commentary: Slate Magazine's Hang Up and Listen podcast has posted
their own commentary track, which they describe as a "Hate Watch". - Character Shilling: The Movie. The film went out of its way to lionize FIFA executives... during a corruption scandal involving said executives.
- Department of Redundancy Department:Sepp Blatter: Unemployment has all but disappeared because everyone is working.
- A God Am I: At one point, Havelange explicitly compares the good he and FIFA have done in the world to acts of God.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: Gives this to FIFA and its founders, glossing over the rampant corruption.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: All of the English characters are portrayed as aloof, racist, corrupt, or some combination of the three. Note that this actually was Truth in Television to some extent, but they were really no worse than the representatives of most other European countries of the era, let alone to the cartoonish levels that the film blows their behavior up to.
- Hypocrite: The film's climax revolves around Blatter forcing the other FIFA executives to back his campaign to stamp out corruption in the organization... by blackmailing them.
- Product Placement: FIFA, obviously, but Blatter's securing of Coca-Cola and Adidas sponsorships are also made into an important plot point, with both brands prominently displayed throughout.
- Reality Is Unrealistic: Downplayed; Sir Stanley Rous actually did lose the role of FIFA president to Havelange primarily because of his blatant racism and open support for Apartheid. However, the fact that the film for some reason chooses to give a Historical Villain Upgrade to someone whose views would already be considered morally repugnant by modern standards, while also lionising a successor who was himself a very flawed man, ends up making Rous' faults look comically overblown by comparison.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Probably not in the way they'd hoped.
- Stealth Parody: The film's director, Frédéric Auburtin, claimed that he inserted "ironic parts" into the film. ESPN's review notes that Uruguay winning the right to host the World Cup and Argentina's 1978 World Cup victory were hinted as being bribery and match fixing. The reviewer also notes that the film shows kids in poverty playing football while FIFA doesn't lift a finger to help them out of poverty.
- Stock Footage: Of some moments from various notorious matches in the World Cups including, amongst others, the 1970 final (Brazil 4-1 Italy), the "hand of God" by Maradona in 1986, the missed penalty by Roberto Baggio in the 1994 final, and, in the final credits, footage of a Women's World Cup and the 2010 World Cup moments of Spain scoring the goal in the final and Iker Casillas celebrating it. The ending scene intercuts footage of an overjoyed Nelson Mandela getting to hold the World Cup Trophy intercut with Tim Roth's Sepp Blatter.
- What the Hell Is That Accent?: Sam Neill as Havelange. Doubles with WTH Casting Agency casting a New Zealander as a Brazilian.
