Review: Kenny
A Biopic that pulls at the heartstrings, Kenny tells the story of Liverpool’s adopted son, Kenny Dalglish, through the words of his family, former teammates and the man himself. Kenny shows the Scot as a family man, who became the King of the biggest family on earth.
It can be no surprise that the story largely focuses around his time spent in charge of Liverpool. After all, If you are to tell the story of Kenny Dalglish, you are to tell the story of Liverpool Football Club.
The emotional fatigue Dalglish underwent during his 6-year spell in charge of Liverpool is on full show, as we see a man described by his family and friends as a very private individual, thrust into the spotlight as the spokesperson for the country’s biggest football club during the worst moments in the club’s history. The weight of this responsibility, along with the process of going to as many of the 96 funerals after Hillsborough as possible took its toll on Dalglish, with him resigning from Managerial duties just over 18 months after.
It is through this tragedy that the former number 7, whose playing abilities are described during the biopic as ‘mesmerising’ and ‘graceful’, has forever become tied with Liverpool Football Club and the City of Liverpool.
The shot of the present day Dalglish looking down upon the Hillsborough stadium from a distance will forever remain in viewers memories, with Dalglish unable to take himself back to the site of the worst disaster in living football memory. Dalglish explains himself how he is still running away from that day.
Despite what he’s been through, Dalglish remains upbeat, and spends the majority of on screen time not centred around the tragedies he’s been involved in, either smiling or laughing.
Towards the end of the movie, we see Kenny and his wife, Marina, granted freedom to the City of Liverpool. It is, however, through the movie, that we can fully appreciate why Dalglish will always belong in the hearts of those associated with the city.
The biopic leaves you transfixed for an hour and a half, as you experience both the highs and the lows of Dalglish’s career. It leaves you questioning, football fan or not, just why Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish has not received a knighthood.
