Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.
114 Minutes
Directed By: George Clooney
Written By: Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly
Staring: George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, John Krasinski,
“You’re only as young as the woman you feel.” -Jimmy “Dodge” Connelly”
Review
At the idea of another football movie I sighed in defeat before even bothering to watch Leatherheads, but upon further inspection I realized it wasn’t just going to be a regular sports movie, it was more or less a compilation of stories and characters that happened to involve football. Directed by GeorgeClooney , and staring him as well, there was a light hearted touch I’ve come to expect from him. There was romance, comedy, and an all together entertaining story made more compelling because of the performances behind it.
Leatherheads is a romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football, where a hysterical love triangle develops between the new coach, a war hero who happens to be a football sensation, and each fall for the news reporter following them around who is also the starsfiancée.
Leatherheads was an enjoyable movie, but even with it’s clever performances, some of the story was difficult to keep an avid interest in. Some of the information that seemed particularly important to the plot was almostunnecessarily forced. Not everything felt cohesive. Great interactions between Krasinski and Zellweger, or Zellweger and Clooney were wonderful distractions, but the moments in between seemed to lose the magic that happened when the were together.
Clooney was great. He had some of those moments he used to have on a regular basis on E.R. that made the world fall in love with him. The subtle nods, and sideways glances, and the crooked smile a kid gives when his hand is caught in the cookie jar were all present withClooney. This was him getting to be his charming best. Even Renee Zellweger who can sometimes falter with her chipmunk face or constant breathy deliveries was in her best. Looking like she’d eaten a sandwich or two, and so ravishing as the 20′s style news reporter making bothClooney and Krasinski fall for her becomes no surprise when she is the center of their affection. Krasinski as the wide eyed war hero turned football star isn’t a vast stretch, but the scene where he gets drunk is absolutely hilarious, and a great credit to his comedic talent.
Even though there were moments of lackluster and some dead air, the feel of the film had a heart to it and a real sweetness that made some of the more down moments worth passing through. The air felt very 20′s and the comedy had a distinct feel that reallyseperated it from todays typical stories and ways of conveying humor. It was really it’s own, and the light hearted feel really had the Clooney touch to it. There were several moments that worthy of laughing out loud.
I think after a few years I may forget about Leatherheads, but would be pleasantly surprised to see it on cable and catch it a second time again. It wasn’t a noteworthy or truly remarkable film, but it was far more enjoyable than I had anticipated. It was a relief to watch a movie with such a different tone to it and that still really captured the era it was designed for. GeorgeClooney did a great job acting and a good one directing. I suspect with time he’ll just improve, just like he does with everything. Leatherheads is definitely worth a watch.