Jeux de dupes

Like a lot of people, I never bothered with this film when it came out in the cinemas because of the negative reviews that it got. Likewsie when it came to DVD it sat at the bottom end of my rental list waiting for me to want to watch it. Eventually I did and initially I thought that the reviews had been unfairly harsh because the film seemed like it was going to be a light and sparky sports period piece that captures the screwball comedies of years gone by. This is how it starts but unfortunately it is not how it continues. It is not like, at some point the film suddenly gets "bad" (it doesn't) but more that it doesn't quite have the sparkle or life that the trimmings all suggest that it will.

In terms of capturing the period, it does a great job – or at least it does a great job of continuing the nostalgic idea of the period. It does this with a cool jazz soundtrack, good costumes and the suggestion of the snappy dialogue that the screwball movies are known for. I say suggestion because of the places where the film doesn't have the zing that it needed is in the script. It does have its moments though and it is quite fun at times but mostly it feels like it is just falling short of where it should be. It has a couple of things that don't help this either. Firstly it is too long, maybe not for the plot (it doesn't "drag" per se) but certainly for the light tone. Secondly, the romance aspect of the plot doesn't really work, which is partly down to the casting of Zellweger.

Where Clooney fits the bill as a "too-cute by half" square-jawed matinée star, Zellweger cannot convincingly deliver her lines in a way that works. I think of Jennifer Jason Leigh in Hudsucker Proxy – she did an impression of an actress in a screwball comedy that was pretty good and looking at that shows up how ill-suited Zellweger is. I know people dislike her on principle but I am not one of them, I just thought she was pretty poor here. Krasinski is good in his role even if, to be frank, he didn't do anything that suggested he has more than the range of characterisation that he has already shown on The Office – and that should be of concern to his "people" since he will soon need to breakout of that show as it cannot run forever. The supporting cast has plenty of interesting and recognisable faces who do solid work.

Leatherheads is not a terrible comedy as some have suggested and it should not be criticised for being inconsequential or light. Sadly though it is not frothy, sparky or fun enough to be the film that it was clearly intended to be. OK there are specific issues with aspects of the plot and some (well, one) bit of casting but generally this bigger picture problem is what limits it to be an "OK" film but no better than that.

I saw Leatherheads today, despite the negative comments here at IMDb. On the whole, I agree with the 'movie-guy: Doug' who ventured that this is a "slapstick comedy that is cute and enjoyable to watch". I'd add that this is a comedic period-piece, which is pleasant and witty, rather than hilarious and knee-slapping (if you want to get technical). It offers excellent sets, costumes and characterizations typical of the Roaring 20's when Newspapers were godlike, and Radio was just unfolding.

It's (loosely) about Pro Football in the 20's. The message is that the game was rough, poorly-regulated and messy! (No wonder Baseball was America's game!) College players fared better, with fervent fan support and well-tended fields of play -- but after College, great players packed it up and got real jobs (or switched to baseball, I guess). In this story, George Clooney hopes to boost the fortunes of his floundering Toledo Pro team by recruiting a college superstar (and reported war-hero), played by John Krasinski. Renée Z. is the ace reporter dispatched to get the goods on the football hero's military service record.

The film was reminiscent of the 1988 film '8 Men Out' in doing a great job of recreating the look and feel of that era. However, '8 Men Out' was based upon a real life incident and a fabulous book. 'Leatherheads' was a story one IMDb contributor says George Clooney carried around in his pocket for 20 years. So, I'd agree that the storytelling and comedy bits of the screenplay are lacking a bit. However, George does fine as a Director and Performer -- I don't buy that comedy isn't 'his thing' - he was sparkling in 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou' and 'Intolerable Cruelty' (ahhhhh, but those were Coen Brothers scripts, which showed what George could do with a real creative team behind him). Also, it looked like the cast had a hoot making this thing -- to be honest, if the DVD has lots of bloopers and special features, that alone might induce me to pick it up in 2009.

I quite enjoyed the film, but, then, I like period pieces, especially those about the Jazz Age (8 Men Out, Great Gatsby and the Sting are in my Top-20). Nice soundtrack by Randy Newman here, too. This was witty and pleasant to watch. And PG-13 comedies that are NOT about singles dating morons or kids with three dads, or sperm donors (the Previews at our matinée today) are in very short supply these days.

Might add that Renée was quite charming in the manner of a glamor girl of the Jazz Age, with soft blonde hair and strategic use of red lipstick to produce that perfect 'kissy' smile! Pete Gerety, a veteran character player, chips in with a nice spot as a new Football Commissioner. I recognized Gerety as the smooth-talking oil baron 'Lee Janus' in another Clooney project, Syriana.

7/10 - canuckteach

btw: The NFL really didn't get rolling as a major diversion until NFL Films made it a TV legacy in the late 60's. (In the 50's, it was viewed in crummy black and white with those ugly-duckling 4-poster goalposts).

George Clooney was clearly trying for screwball nostalgia with this sports comedy, but what he actually put together sits on the screen like a lump of lead.

Clooney stars as a professional football player back in the days (1920s) when no one cared much for professional football. As an attempt to bring some attention and fans to the sport, he cajoles a popular war hero and college football star (college football happens to be the rage) to go pro. Eventually, the two become rivals when the college star transfers to an opposing team. Meanwhile, the editor of a newspaper learns that the war hero's story is a fraud, and sends out a feisty reporter (Renee Zellweger) to expose him.

All of these ingredients are meant to mix into an antic romp, and Clooney, Zellweger and John Krasinski (who plays the war hero) try their damnedest to be madcap, mugging shamelessly at the camera at every opportunity. But the movie grinds along painfully, and you can practically see the sweat beading on the actors' brows as they work overtime to make the material funny. Krasinski is miscast as an all-American war hero; there's something a little too bookish and dopey about him to make him believable. And Clooney and Zellweger have absolutely no romantic chemistry -- they're given roles that, say, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck would have played if this were a screwball comedy from the 1930s, but they work up no heat and deliver almost no laughs.

No expense was spared on the period look of the film, and Randy Newman for once provides a tolerable and playful score, but everything else about the film is a dud.

Grade: C

"Leatherheads" is a movie of laughs, and feel good fun a period piece of football nostalgia that's held together by it's slapstick comedy and blended well with romance. George Clooney who stars and directs gives a good turn here, yet it seems a little uncommon seeing the superstar in a period comedy piece as he's clearly a better dramatic actor still he scores some points here for his style of shooting and direction of the film.

Set in the 1920's George is 'Dodge' Connelly a football player on the field and a ladies man off it, and this is before the big money and rules changes that took into form for the game. Clooney's team the Duluth Bulldogs are a scrapper bunch at play yet the team is tough and gritty, and off the field George's Dodge character is full of drink and has eyes for a dame. Enter Lexie Littleton(Renee Zellweger)who's an elegant and sexy snap news lady of a reporter as she's a little lady in red from her nifty wardrobe. While the Bulldogs team and other foes have gone bankrupt and many move on to other traits of work like mining and labor, a plan then develops to invest in and start an organized league with the help of a famous recruit for the Bulldogs that being college ivy league stud and apparent war hero Carter Rutherford(John Krasinski). Along the way then the film blends with plenty of slapstick laughs and comic gridiron action from strange and crazy tackles to muddy fields to catchy flirtation one liners and romance that is seen in a chastely and sexy way. And the big surprise is the truth about the apparent battlefield story is revealed.

Overall this isn't a great movie, but it's OK as the slapstick and laughs carry it, so if your expecting a historical serious and dramatic look at the early NFL you want get it here. Though the costumes and uniforms of the classic throwback way of no face mask, no chin gear, nor any rules make you feel just like your back watching a 1920's era game. The chemistry between Clooney and Zellweger is good as Renee is a bright treat to watch even though the laughs are good and the scenes are fun Clooney appears out of place here in a comedy work even though his performance is good, this screwball comedy scores for laughs and is flagged for drama and it's lack of focused attention on the history of the start of the NFL.

You know the phrase "they don't make them like they used too"? Well, George Clooney definitely took that to heart when he decided to direct and act in Leatherheads. This movie hits back to "It Happened One Night" type of slap stick, or at least that's what it reminded me of. To me it seems like George Clooney is trying to be like the next Clark Gable, Renee Zellwegger, don't get me wrong, I love this girl, she's a great actress, but I wasn't too impressed with her performance in Leatherheads. With her and George it seemed like they were trying so hard to make the slap stick work and really forced it, while the jokes are funny, it doesn't click as well as it should like the old time comedies. The problem with this movie is that it doesn't know wither it wants to be a romantic comedy slap stick or how football was born in America type of comedy, so George Clooney misses more than hits.

Set in the 1920's, Jimmy and his football team are in the birth of football. The problem is that they don't win and their sponsors are fed up with their stunts and loosing streaks. So when they drop the football team, Jimmy looks for a job, but fails, but later he comes across college football star, Carter Rutherford. He offers Rutherford to join the team and the sponsors get back into play. Rutherford is also known war hero and reporter, Lexie Littleton is on the case to find out "the truth" that could possible damage Carter's career. But Jimmy is also attracted Lexie and may have to give up the only way to boost the football team's reputation again for Lexie's story.

Would I recommend Leatherheads? I would say that it's worth a matinée, it's a cute movie and has some fun laughs. I loved the scene with Jimmy and Carter who just punch each other in the face and beg not to hit anywhere else because it's their weak spot. Just I think the editing was a little off, some scenes I don't understand why they were not cut in half or were even needed. George Clooney wasn't looking to make a masterpiece, but I think he took this film in the wrong direction and it's not that impressive. It's a decent movie, worth the watch, but it's not something I would buy.

6/10