I don't usually venture out to the movie theatre, but I made an exception for "Trouble with the Curve" because I was interested to see how filming in my area and around my school turned out. While not directing, Clint Eastwood stars as Gus, a scout for the Atlanta Braves who is trying to hide his failing eye sight while battling an ambitious member of Braves management Tom (played by Matthew Lillard) accuses Gus of being behind the times. Gus's long-time friend and boss Pete (John Goodman) is worried about Gus and convinces Gus's lawyer daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to join her father on one last scouting trip to the Carolinas to scout a top-rated prospect. Mickey, however, is reluctant to get involved with her stubborn father, who won't admit he needs her help, but tags along anyway. The two begin to work together and Mickey pushes Gus to address some old wounds from her childhood that have caused her to be emotionally distant from those who love her, including a new love interest in a fellow scout/former player Johnny (Justin Timberlake).
This movie is unfortunately getting mixed reviews and I have to think that the very recent appearance Eastwood did at the Republican National Convention might play a part in some of the negativity. Politics aside, Eastwood does a good job and I liked his chemistry with Adams as well. Timberlake does a fine job but this is really Eastwood's show. The film is well-acted all around but I admit that the storyline is a bit obvious but it's satisfying. For example, the "bad guys" are so obviously bad that the audience knows they deserve what comeupance they surely will get in the end which I found myself rooting for.
It's interesting that this film is the anti-"Moneyball" in a sense because while both are films about management of baseball they differ because "Moneyball" celebrates the turning of baseball on its head by using stats and computers while "Curve" celebrates using instincts, learned knowledge, and senses (sight, sound) to find talent. So who is right? Or is there room for both approaches?
Don't worry if you're not a baseball fan - watching this one doesn't require a passion for the sport or any knowledge of it. Give this one a chance because it may show back up when award nominations are announced - solid B for me for good acting, moving story though kind of obvious.
Hopefully this isn’t Clint’s last flick before big-time retirement, because the guy can still nail it and does so here. The only problem is that the rest of the film doesn’t help him out so much in-return. Nice review Jennifer.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to this movie.
ReplyDeleteFound that I liked the movie more and more as it unfolded. Pleasantly surprised because in the beginning as Clint did his curmudgeon schtick, thought it would wear on me. But it didn't.
ReplyDeleteGood solid acting. Good supporting cast also. Liked Timberlake. Haven't really thought of him as an actor but seeing him in more flicks has upped my opinion of him in the last few years.
Liked the story. It touched on the emotional/physical abandonment enough and handled it properly w/o getting stuck in it so movie was able to move on.
Plot believable and ended well for me.