"LEATHERHEADS" (2008) Review
As a rule, I usually do not like sports movies. I can think of at least six or seven that are personal favorites of mine. After my recent viewing of the 2008 football comedy, "LEATHERHEADS", I can honestly say that the number has risen to eight.
George Clooney, who also directed the film, plays Dodge Connolly, captain of the struggling football team called the Duluth Bulldogs. Dodge is determined to save both his team and professional football in general when the players lose their sponsor, and the league is on the brink of collapse. He convinces a college football star, Carter "the Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski), to join the Bulldogs, in order to capitalize on Carter's fame as a war hero. In addition to his legendary tales of heroism in World War I, Carter has dashing good looks and unparalleled speed and skill on the field. As a result of his presence, both the Bulldogs and football in general prosper. Rene Zellweger provided romantic interest as reporter Lexie Littleton, who becomes the object of the affections of both Carter and Dodge. Unbeknown to Carter, Lexie has been assigned to find proof that Carter's stories of military heroism are bogus. Meanwhile, Dodge's attempts to legitimize professional football start to backfire, as rules are formalized, taking away much of the improvisational antics that made the game fun for many of its players.
I had expected to mildly enjoy "LEATHERHEADS" or at least enjoy the 1920s setting. Instead, I found myself really enjoying the story of Dodge Connolly’s comic attempts to legitimize professional football, and his romantic rivalry with Carter Rutherford for Lexie Littleton’s heart. The comic timing featured in the script written by George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, Duncan Brantley, Rick Reilly and Stephen Schiff is wonderful. The performances – especially the three leads – were fabulous. Clooney, Zellweger and Krasinski proved that they all possessed the skills and timing for comedic acting. And they were supported by a top-notch cast that included Stephen Root, Jonathan Pryce, and Peter Gerety. And I must say that I loved the way Clooney and his production staff captured the mid-1920s America, right down to the chaotic world of football – professional and college.
However, "LEATHERHEADS" is not perfect. The Chicago sequence leading up to the big game between the Duluth and Chicago nearly dragged the film. And I found the ending vague and lacking any real closure over Dodge, Lexie and Carter’s future. And that perfect capture of the 1920s? Well, it was not completely perfect. I have to blame Renee Zellweger’s hairstyle for this. It was fine when she had her hair pinned. But she spent at least two-thirds of the film wearing her hair in a shoulder-length bob. Is it any wonder I had originally believed this film was set in the early-to-mid 1930s?
It is a shame that "LEATHERHEADS" did not prove to be a hit. It really is an enjoyable film. But I guess that it is the type of film that would appeal to older moviegoers who are at least in their 30s and 40s. It simply lacked the appeal for younger viewers. Oh well. "LEATHERHEADS" has been released on DVD for roughly fifteen years. Why not give it a chance?
"CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR" (2007) ReviewEleven years ago, I first learned about how a Texas congressman named Charlie Wilson led the effort to drive the Soviet Army from Afghanistan after nearly ten years. I learned about Operation Cyclone from the 2007 biopic, "CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR". Operation Cyclone was the code name for the C.I.A. program to arm and finance the mujahideen in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, prior to and during the military intervention by the USSR in support of its client, the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The program leaned heavily towards supporting militant Islamic groups that were favored by the regime of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in neighboring Pakistan, instead of the less militant Afghan resistance groups that had also been fighting the pro-Marxist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan regime since before the Soviet invasion. Operation Cyclone proved to be one of the longest and most expensive covert CIA operations undertaken during the agency's history. Directed by Mike Nichols and based upon George Crile III's 2003 book, "Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History", "CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR" began in 1980, when Congressman Charles "Charlie" Wilson (D-Texas) became aware of the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan during to trip to Las Vegas. But it took an old friend of his, Texas socialite Joanne Herring, to encourage him to finally get involved with driving the Soviets out of Afghanistan. First, Wilson pays a visit to Afghanistan, where he visits a refugee camp and the country's leader, President Zia-ul-Haq. Upon his return to the U.S., Wilson recruits the help of veteran C.I.A. agent Gust Avrakotosto help him kick start an operation that would provide aid - food, medical and especially military - to the Afghans. And finding military aid would mean enlisting support from both Israel and Egypt. At the same time, Wilson is forced to face a Federal investigation into allegations of his cocaine use, as part of a larger investigation into Congressional misconduct.I must admit that I did not have a very high opinion of "TIMELESS" when I first saw it over ten years ago. I honestly did not know what to expect. I certainly did not expect a comedy-drama with a lot of wit and snappy one-liners. Or perhaps I was expecting something a little more . . . intense? Who knows. But looking back on the film, I finally realized that my opinion of it has increased over the years. I enjoyed how the movie went to a great deal of effort to provide details of Wilson's efforts to aid the Afghans, especially the Mujahidee (Afghanistan's freedom fighters). Whether those details were historically accurate or not - I have not the foggiest idea. But I found Wilson's efforts to find ways to provide aid and help the Afghans throw out the occupying Soviets without the rest of the world finding out about U.S. involvement very interesting . . . and rather amusing. This sequence of events included a rather humorous first meeting between Wilson and his C.I.A. liaison, Gust Avrakotos. Another aspect of the film that I found humorous were Wilson's efforts to curb his friend Ms. Herring's patriotic and religious fervor over the program - including one scene in which she bluntly assured her guests at a fund raiser that President Zia-ul-Haq was not responsible for the death of his predecessor, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. For me, one of the film's most interesting and hilarious scenes featured Wilson's meeting with both Israeli and Egyptian representatives in order to acquire arms for the Mujahidee - a meeting that included an Arabic dance (belly dance) from the daughter of an American businessman.Judging from the movie's Oscar, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations, one could see that "CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR" was not exactly a front-runner for Academy Award nominations during the 2007-2008 movie awards season Philip Seymour-Hoffman earned the majority of the film's major nominations. Julia Roberts did earn a Golden Globe Awards, but nothing else. Did it deserve more acclamation? I do not know. Mike Nichols did a competent and entertaining job in allowing moviegoers peeks into C.I.A. policies, Washington and international politics. Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman (as C.I.A. operative Gust Avrakotos) all gave excellent performances. Well . . . Hanks and Hoffman struck me as entertaining and excellent. But I really enjoyed Roberts' performance as the colorful Houston socialite. It seemed a shame that she was only nominated for a Golden Globe Award. The movie also featured solid performances from Amy Adams, Ned Beatty, Om Puri, Christopher Denham, John Slattery, Ken Stott, Shaun Tolb, Peter Gerety and Emily Blunt. But if I must be honest, the movie did not give me a charge. I enjoyed it very mcuh. I mean, I really found it entertaining. But I did not love "CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR". I remember while leaving the theater following my first viewing of the film, I had this feeling that something was missing. I do not know. It could have been the unsatisfying ending, which I found to be rushed. It could have been James Newton Howard's score that seemed too treacly for a borderline black comedy about a U.S. congressman, the C.I.A. and the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan. Or perhaps I found the movie's ending even more treacly than its score. Either Nichols or the movie's producers - Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman - lacked the balls to portray the consequences of Operation Cyclone.I cannot say that "CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR" was a great film. I do not know if I would regard it as one of Mike Nichols' best efforts. But I found it very entertaining, thanks to Aaron Sorkin's screenplay, Nichols' direction and a first-rate cast led by Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman. And if one is intrigued by a peek into American politics during the 1980s, I would highly recommend it.
"THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" (2000) Review
I never saw "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" in the movie theaters when it was first released years ago. I have a low tolerance of sports movies and there are only a few that I consider favorites of mine. Another reason why I never saw this film in the theaters is that my family simply had no desire to see it.
Based upon Steven Pressfield's 1995 novel and directed by Robert Redford, "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" was a box office flop. Worse, it had received mixed to negative reviews. Among the criticisms directed at the film was the accusation that the Bagger Vance character was basically a "Magical Negro" trope. I have to be honest. I was never aware of these criticisms or the film's status as a flop. I barely noticed the film when it was first released. And I did not see it for the first time until a few years later on cable television.
Near the end of the 20th century, an old man from Savannah, Georgia named Hardy Greaves began experiencing his sixth heart attack, while playing golf. This led him to reminisce about his love of the game and how it connected to his childhood idol, one Rannulph Junuh. The latter turned out to be one of Savannah's Junuh is the favorite son of early 20th century Savannah, Georgia and a highly regarded golfer. He became engaged to Adele Invergordon, a young socialite from a wealthy family before he went off to war. While serving as an Army captain during World War I, Junuh became tramatized when his entire company was wiped out during a battle. Although he earned the Medal of Honor, Junuh disappeared after the war for several years, before returning to Georgia to live a life of a drunk.
During this time, Adele's father attempted to create a local golf resort. Mr. Invergordon finally opened the resort, but the Wall Street crash of 1929 and the Great Depression bankrupted him. In an effort to recover her family's fortune before the banks could claim her land, Adele decided to hold a four-round, two-day golf match between At the start of the Great Depression (circa 1930-31), Adele is trying to recover her family's lost fortune by holding a four-round, two-day exhibition match between two golf legends of the era - Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen with a grand prize of $10,000.
However, she needs a local participant to generate the city's interest. The young Hardy Greaves (J. Michael Moncrief) speaks up for his golf hero, Junuh, prompting Adele to ask her estranged love to play. Junuh is approached by a mysterious traveler carrying a suitcase, who appears while Junuh is trying to hit golf balls into the dark void of night. The man identifies himself as Bagger Vance (Will Smith) and says he will be Junuh's caddie. With Greaves as the young assistant caddie, Bagger helps Junuh come to grips with his personal demons and play golf again.
It was not that surprising that "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" was based upon Steven Pressfield's 1995 novel. However, I was very surprised to learn that Pressfield had loosely based his novel on the Hindu sacred text, the Bhagavad Gita. In this text, Warrior/Hero Arjuna (R. Junuh . . . get it?) refuses to fight. And the god Krishna appears as Bhagavan (Bagger Vance) to help Arjuna (R. Junuh) follow the path of the warrior and hero (sports hero) that he was meant to take.
Considering that this movie was not that popular with moviegoers or critics, one would be hard pressed to even like it. I have my complaints about "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE". There were moments when the movie threatened to become a little saccharin, especially midway into the golf tournament when Junuh finally began displaying those exceptional golf skills that made him such a legend before the war. Savannah's reaction to Junah's golf game and yes . . . even the ending struck me as a tad syrupy. I realize that this movie is one of those feel-good movies wrapped up in sports, but I think Redford could have tone down the saccharin a bit. I also feel that he could have tone down some of the performances of the supporting cast. Overall, all of them gave solid performances. But there were times when the supporting cast - namely those portraying Savannah's citizens - seemed to be chewing the scenery.
Despite the flashes of saccharin and hamminess, I have to admit that I enjoyed "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" as much as I did when I first saw it. There is so much to enjoy about this film. One of them is the movie's production values. I wish I could say something about Rachel Portman's score. Mind you, I thought it blended well with the movie's narrative. But I did not find the particularly memorable. However, I thought hers and Redford's use of early 20th century songs and music well done. As for the movie's re-creation of early 20th century Savannah, I found it more than memorable. Frankly, I found it mind-blowing. Stuart Craig had managed to acquire a good number of awards and nominations for his work, but he never received any acclaim for his production designs for "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE". Personally, I find this rather criminal. His production designs were exquisite. And they were enhanced even further by Michael Ballhaus' cinematography, which was nominated for Satellite Award. Yes, I realize that a Satellite Award is not the same as an Academy Award, a BAFTA or a Golden Globe Award. But at least someone acknowledged his work on this movie. Judianna Makovsky has done her share of costume designing for Marvel Films and other movies. And she has also received at least three Academy Award nominations. But she did not receive any for "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE". Again . . . criminal. Her costumes struck me as an exquisite recreation of the period between 1917 and 1931 - especially the latter. If you think I am exaggerating, take a look:
Hollywood always seemed to have difficulty in re-creating the 1930s in costumes and hairstyles. Thanks to Ms. Makovsky, "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" proved to be one of those movies that got that period - especially the early 1930s - right.
But I was really impressed by how director Robert Redford and screenwriter used the game of golf to portray Rannulph Junuh's post-war struggles. Unlike many other sports films, Junuh had already achieved a reputation as a superb golfer in the opening scenes. This meant that the conflict was not about Junuh trying to prove to the world that he was a talented golfer. In fact, this movie was not even about Junuh trying to prove that despite the passage of fourteen years, he was still a top-notch golfer. That was proven by the tournament's second day. World War I had left Rannulph Junuh traumatized and broken to the point that he returned home as an alcoholic - estranged from Adele Invergordon and many of Savannah's citizens. It was the golf tournament that led Junuh to Bagger Vance, the story's embodiment of a deity or spirit that not helped the former get back his groove as a top notch golfer. Bagger also helped Junuh, through the game of golf, regain that human spirit everyone thought he had lost during the war.
As I had earlier pointed out, "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" was not a box office hit. One of the main complaints charged by film critics and others was the Bagger Vance character portrayed by Will Smith. Many had accused the character of being a "Magical Negro" stereotype. Considering Bagger's role in the film as spiritual guide for Rannulph Junuh and the fact that the character was portrayed by African-American actor Will Smith, it is not difficult to agree that Bagger Vance was a "Magical Negro". I do find it ironic that a fictional character labeled as a "Magical Negro" was based upon a Hindu religious figure. Did that affect my viewing of the film? Honestly? No. I enjoyed Smith's performance too much to really care. Was his Bagger Vance very saintly? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Smith did portray Vance as a friendly and soft-spoken man with a well of good advice on the game of golf. However, Smith also did a superb job in conveying Vance's controlling and occasional sardonic nature underneath the soft-spoken manner.
Ironically, Matt Damon had the easier job portraying the damaged World War I veteran/golfer, Rannulph Junuh. His job was easier, due to the fact that he was never criticized for portraying a stereotype. Otherwise, Damon did an excellent job in conveying Junuh's emotional journey from a happy-go-lucky sports figure to shell shocked war veteran, later an alcoholic community pariah and finally to a battered yet satisfied survivor who managed to regain his life after so many years. If I have to be perfectly honest, the Adele Invergordon has to be one of my favorite characters portrayed by Charlize Theron. Thanks to actress' energetic performance, Adele proved to be a passionate and outgoing woman who had to resort to charm, guile, brains and God knows what else to overcome the traumas of losing her father to suicide and Junuh to his personal demons in order to save her family's fortunes and plans for a golf resort. Theron practically lit up the screen whenever she appeared.
"THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" also featured excellent performances from Bruce McGill, who did such a wonderful job in portraying the theatrical golfer, Walter Hagen; Joel Gretsch, who skillfully portrayed Bobby Jones as a man who hid a raging ambition behind a gracious persona; and Peter Gerety as the hard-nosed city councilman/businessman, Neskaloosa. I do not know if I could regard J. Michael Moncrief (who was 12 years old at the time) as an excellent child actor. But I must admit that I admired the enthusiasm and energy he poured into his portrayal of young Hardy Greaves. As for Jack Lemmon, he did an excellent job as the elderly Hardy and the movie's narrator.
Overall, "THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE" had its few shares of flaws. And utilizing the "Magical Negro" probably hurt its chances to be a successful movie. But . . . "Magical Negro" or not, I really enjoyed this movie, thanks to director Robert Redford and the screenplay written by Jeremy Leven. The movie also benefited from a superb production design and a first-rate cast led by Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron.
