Dan's Papers - April 11, 2008 - Flick Picks with Ian Stark

Looking for an unusual film? You may be tempted to take a chance on Leatherheads, a story about a love triangle, the love of old-style filmmaking and also the love for football. And as long as you maintain lowered expectations, you might get through fairly satisfied.

Renée Zellweger (Down With Love, Chicago) and George Clooney (The Good German, Good Night and Good Luck) are two fine actors who have shown a knack in the past for recreating early to mid-20th century American personalities on screen, and are once again enlisted to do so. However, this time they both may have pushed their luck with this uneven attempt at throwback-inspired filmmaking.

For the second time in his career, Clooney takes on the roles of co-author, co-star and director of a movie that works to remind everyone how much better it used to be. He plays "Dodge" Connolly, an alpha-male football player on the Duluth Bulldogs . He's a dirty version of Cary Grant, with eyes for Zellweger's "Lexie" Littleton. She's a Lois Lane wannabe whose editor sends her to investigate the validity of the Bulldogs latest acquisition, Carter "The Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski, "The Office," License to Wed). The man is certainly a story; as both a former college star, a WWI vet and a national hero, his celebrated heroics and fame help him land a then-unheard payday of $5,000 a game.

Littleton arrives with the intent of debunking Carter's war record, which upon closer examination seems dubious. But before long, she ends up falling for her questionable, yet hunky, subject, all the while sweeping the luggish Dodge off his feet. Naturally, "Bullet" sees the moxie mama and falls in lust, which irritates Connolly to no end. He works overtime to drum up Lexie's interest with period-piece cutesy patter, regardless of the two-way relationship she's actually formed with his teammate. She denies him, yet always seems to relish his attempts. Could it be that beneath the jitterbug-style banter between Littleton and Connolly there's something real? And does Dodge dare upset the young fan favorite Rutherford who's helping put fans in the seats? And is it possible to have more characters that require "quotes" around their jazz-era nicknames? Annoyingly enough, yes... and plenty of them.

If this synopsis seems simplistic and trifling, you're on point. The actors are OK; Clooney's charm is undeniable and his direction is fine, while Krasinski plays a wooden, straight-arrow type, playing Bullet with just enough personality. Zellweger? She's game, she tries, but with all her sassy moments and hard-charging behaviors, she still comes off a little too soft to be such a tough news lady (please see Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hudsucker Proxy to get a better idea of how this should be played), much less the center of a love triangle between two hunky jocks with very, er, masculine intentions. But the real problem here is the story itself, as it's too stocked with interrupting moments of silliness that lower the entire production. The lack of orientation between light romantic comedy and broad physical humor really ends up undermining both the love story and the honor intended for the yesteryears of American football.

The end result of all the unnecessary goofiness is a continental divide right down the middle of the picture: either you want slapstick and you're forced to wait through dialogue-driven moments, or you look forward to slick conversation and get sidetracked with comedic violence. It's such a shame, too, as every other facet of the film is done well, including some beautiful cinematography. After seeing this movie, you'll most likely think how great it would look on your HDTV, then start wishing you had seen it in your living room first before you spent two hours and $22 at the box office.

Ian Stark is a frequent TV and radio commentator on the film industry, and consults with private organizations on their collections. He is widely published on film and other arts/culture topics.