DVD Review: Off The Black (2006)
Tradition dictates that in sports films, there’s always an outsider; somebody who doesn’t quite fit. Of course, there are numerous examples of the crotchety, cynical old pro who hangs around for one last pay-day (Paul Newman in Slap Shot being the high-point of the sub-genre); or the maverick talent that doesn’t play by the rules (Tommy Lee Jones invests his portrayal of baseball hero Ty Cobb with bitter, hulking menace in Cobb). Then there are the ultimate Etrangers, like Arthur Brauss as the titular goalkeeper in Wim Wender’s The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty Kick.
It’s a device designed to focus human interest in what is essentially a team pursuit. Team sports are the ultimate brotherhood: a number of finely-tuned athletes striving together for the common good. There are no individuals, so to make the theme interesting, it is required that one nail sticks out of the wood to snag our attention on the wider story.
Off The Black falls defiantly into the latter category of unheralded outsiders. In order to be accurate, it’s important to say that it’s not a ‘sports’ film at all, even though the backdrop to the story and the genesis of the script are heavily involved in what our colleagues across the pond call ‘America’s Pastime,’ namely baseball.
Anything curated by Saint Etienne always stirs an interest from me. Following on from the excellent 
Sitting through another dismal round of Champions League football this week really makes you appreciate the real football genius of mavericks past - and top of that list is George Best. And if you want to appreciate the great man's talent, you've got a very rare chance at Manchester's Cornerhouse cinema.
