Rooney

Matt Smith's 2022 documentary covers the career and public life of the footballer Wayne Rooney. At its centre is a boy who turned professional at sixteen becoming, at once, the hope of a country and material for the tabloids. The documentary is most honest when Rooney discusses his own mistakes: drink, gambling and his relationship with the press. What his wife Coleen Rooney describes shows the effect of that life on a family. Its limit is being made with the player's approval, leaving some subjects thin. The match footage and period archive are strong. Who it's for: viewers who like football documentaries and are interested in British press culture. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a critical portrait, or with no interest in football.