The Referee

An Italian football comedy that combines too many motifs, and it is not able to make use of those that are good. The animosity between the two teams and their matches is funny, as is the plot about the return of a promising football player, who is an asset to the team, to the city to find his long-lost love. But the side trips about killing sheep and the career of a certain referee are pointless and divert attention from the most important thing - the viewer knowing who to cheer for. (07/12/2014)

(49th KVIFF) Good choice to end the festival. An entertaining and easy-going story set in an Italian amateur football league. The gags, be them verbal, physical or in the format (the almost western-like scenes sometimes) are on a very high level. That’s how you make a “country” comedy. (07/12/2014)

(Hothead + short preview the original final scene) × neorealism = a peculiar confession of love for the unrestrainedness of (not only) primeval football (not only) in Sardinia... In any case, the story lines that mirrors the back stage of football is kind of makeweight. And although it is not bad, it does look like from a completely different film. (01/03/2015)