Une nouvelle chance

"How the hell do you know I'm lucky to survive?"

Legendary screen icon Clint Eastwood returns in front of the camera since his hit "Gran Torino". No matter what anyone else thinks of him, I will always admire the man. He is one of my heroes. Who else can personify the action hero perfectly, become a gifted filmmaker, improve his acting ability as he ages AND be quite the jazz musician?

Mr. Eastwood may be old but he still has a commanding presence on screen. Granted, he might be the only leading octogenarian in Hollywood right now, but still, I digress. He is old. That is a fact. At the age of 82, seeing him play an elderly man losing his sight while bonding with his distant daughter makes it quite sad for me to watch. However, "Trouble With the Curve" is a breeze to watch.

It is not a baseball movie, although baseball is the basis of the film's story. Nor is it a depressing drama (Mr. Eastwood's favorite genre of late). It is a father-daughter bonding dramedy, with some great chemistry between Mr. Eastwood and Amy Adams as his estranged daughter. Justin Timberlake also arrives to lighten up the atmosphere even more, and his presence is welcome in the film.

Mr. Eastwood is not in the director's chair this time. His long-time producer partner, Robert Lorenz, makes his directorial debut with this film. Apparently Lorenz directs the cast with ease although it feels too by-the-numbers. But hey, there are much worse debuts. Judging from the breezy pace and the somewhat brisk editing and lively cinematography, it's clear from the get-go that the superb "Eastwood touch" is not evident in the film, even though some of Mr. Eastwood's key players are still here - cinematographer Tom Stern and editor Joel Cox - though the music by Marco Beltrami (not Mr. Eastwood nor his son this time!) complements the atmosphere pleasantly.

Look, this is not a great film. It's a pedestrian and predictable film, with Mr. Eastwood, Adams, Timberlake, as well as an impressive supporting cast featuring John Goodman and Robert Patrick, phoning in the performances. Both Adams and Mr. Eastwood have acted much more superbly in better previous movies ("Gran Torino", "Million Dollar Baby", "The Fighter"). But it is funny, it is sad at times (Mr. Eastwood's heart-wrenching singing of 'You are My Sunshine' is forever embedded in my head), and it is easy on the eyes, ears and mind, a relaxing pleasure to watch. It is great entertainment. From all the big- budget blockbusters out in cinemas last summer, this is a joy. You'll walk out smiling.

Overall: 70%

Clint Eastwood has being a curmudgeon honed to perfection. How refreshing to see a mature actor creating appropriate roles, and not trying to be a plastic version of his - or her, for that matter in many cases - former self playing inappropriately younger parts. He is excellent in this movie. Amy Adams is, as in every film I've seen her in, a total delight. I never was a fan of John Goodman in his earlier years, but the older he gets and the meatier the roles he takes on, the more appreciation I have for him. And Justin Timberlake has a role absolutely meant for him. He is a sexy little hunk, no doubt about it, with personality to spare. Oh, I loved this movie! The exhilaration of baseball, the heart-tugging familiarity of family issues….this one has a lot going for it and I enjoyed each and every minute of it. It's as good as expectations built it up to be. I would advise you not to miss this one!

I normally do not like movies about sports. I love sports; just not movies about sports. That being said, this film was not so much about baseball as it was about a father and daughter relationship. It also touched on how technology has taken over the human element of scouting for players. This film is the complete opposite of Money Ball, where technology actually helps in building a team. Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) is an aging scout for the Atlanta Braves who is struggling with his eyesight and the front office has doubts about whether or not he is still up to the job of spotting up and coming talent. Because of this affliction, Gus is a grumpy old man which actually adds a lot of humor to the film. His character kind of reminded me of the character that Eastwood played in Grand Torino. His daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) discovers that her father is having difficulty, reluctantly takes on the roll of caregiver and follows her father on his scouting adventure. Incidentally, she knows more about baseball than probably anyone else in this film. Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake) is an aspiring sports announcer who was scouted by Gus years ago. The relationship that develops between Mickey (named for Mickey Mantle) and Johnny is fun to watch and provides some insight to Mickey's reluctance to develop a serious relationship with any man. Pete Klein (John Goodman) plays the mediator role that brings Mickey and Gus together. I really liked his unyielding devotion and trust to Gus. It was also good to once again see Scott Eastwood (Billy Clark) act alongside his father. They have acted together in several films, and it was good to see them spending some family time together. I think that the entire cast definitely made this film better and I am sure that it will draw young viewers to the theater. I do not think that this film was utterly brilliant, but it was thoroughly entertaining. There were aspects of the film that were totally predictable, but I looked forward to seeing it play out. Director Robert Lorenz may not have hit it out of the park (like he did with Million Dollar Baby), but I think that it is a definite triple play. I recommend that you do not sit on the bench and go out and see this film. I give this film a green light.

I didn't think Clint Eastwood would star in a movie he doesn't direct anymore. Actually I never thought he'd star in a movie period. Then again Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake are there to support him. And if you look at it closely it's more an Amy Adams vehicle. Still the daughter-father relationship is explored in major detail here. And it works for the movie as well, even if it sometimes feels a little clichéd.

I'm not that familiar with the game as most Americans are, but the theme of technology against human is not uncommon. And it shouldn't surprise when you have Clint in the movie either. There is drama and there is comedy, but everything is carried by the three mentioned performances. They are believable and if you can dig the story, you will like the movie too

Just got back from seeing this movie, and I enjoyed it very much.

I'm not a person who follows sports, and even though baseball terms were thrown around, I had no problem keeping up with the story. The casting was phenomenal; each character was portrayed perfectly by the actors.

The story may be a little cliché, but it was enjoyable all the same. The plot is about a father and grown daughter trying to reconnect over baseball scouting. There is drama, laughs, and even a few tears along the way.

I highly recommend this movie.