MOVIE
REVIEW: LEATHERHEADS
04/01/08
SYNOPSIS:
Clooney plays Dodge Connolly, a charming,
brash football hero who is determined to guide his team from
bar brawls to packed stadiums. But after the players lose
their sponsor and the entire league faces certain collapse,
Dodge convinces a college football star to join his ragtag
ranks. The captain hopes his latest move will help the
struggling sport finally capture the country's attention.
Welcome to the team Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski),
America's favorite son. A golden-boy war hero who
single-handedly forced multiple German soldiers to surrender
in WWI, Carter has dashing good looks and unparalleled speed
on the field. This new champ is almost too good to be true,
and Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) aims to prove that's the
case.
A cub journalist playing in the big leagues, Lexie is a
spitfire newswoman who suspects there are holes in Carter's
war story. But while she digs, the two teammates start to
become serious off-field rivals for her fickle affections.
REVIEW: Are you
ready for some football? Oh wait, football season is over.
Not at the movies though. But this is not the football you
might be accustomed to. This is 1925 style football, with
helmets made of leather. If you are a fan of football, you
will most probably get a kick out of watching this movie. It
was a lot of fun and a real treat to see this representation
of 20’s football. But this movie does have more to offer
besides football. Props to the filmmakers for an excellent
job in cinematography. The costumes, the grooming, the
music, the stadiums, the vehicles, the trains, the
buildings, and even the telephones were appropriate for the
movie’s setting. Dodge Connelly (George Clooney) rides
around in a motorized bicycle looking contraption that was
impressive to see on the big screen. The overall look of the
film is probably its best attribute. The acting wasn’t too
shabby either. Renee Zellweger as newspaper reporter Lexie
Littleton delights us with one of the sharpest, spunkiest
roles she has ever done. George’s performance, though not
close to his best, was entertaining nonetheless. His and
Renee’s characters engaged in some banter that was classic.
John Krasinski is convincing as college football star Carter
Rutherford who gets wrapped up in the birth of modern
professional football. Honorable mention goes to Peter
Gerety for his small but strong role as the newly appointed
professional football commissioner. He really took charge.
The characters in general were colorful and “classy” but
somewhat shallow. George’s character, Dodge, was
underdeveloped considering he is the main character of the
story. Speaking of the story, it was a little weak but still
interesting to see the art of famous athlete marketing in
action as we know it today. The acting kept the story afloat
and helped keep it fun. As I always say, a big part of good
acting is a good script and the dialogue for this film,
although a little modern, backed up the performances quite
well. It was also interesting to see how college football
was on top of the world while professional football was
considered a joke.
This is a very light hearted project for both George Clooney
the actor and George Clooney the director, especially in
comparison to his last job as actor in Michael Clayton, and
his last job as director in Good Night and Good Luck. Some
might find it refreshing while others might criticize this
move. I say let him have some fun and broaden his horizons.
Even though the movie is a little cliché and at times
predictable, it does have some surprises along with a good
portion of wit and comedy. Probably the strongest limiting
factor is its focus on football. To truly appreciate the
film, you would need to be at least some kind of fan of the
game. Personally, I am, so I caught myself with a smile on
my face for a good amount of the movie. It’s a score . . .
like maybe a field goal.
Review By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
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