Movie Review - Leatherheads

Director:  George Clooney
Cast:  George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, John Krasinski

The latest movie to come from the highly touted George Clooney is the period comedy Leatherheads. The previews make it look fabulous! They edit together to show a slapstick comedy with witty fast placed dialogue. Clooney is directing, and for those who have seen some of his earlier films (Good Night and Good Luck, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), there are high hopes. We’ve seen him pull off classic comedy in O’ Brother Where Art Thou, and he’s cast John Krasinski and Renée Zellweger (both of whom have been very funny in previous works) - so there is no reason why this movie should be anything but a truly great time.

But then we get to the movie - the opening sequence is perfect as it draws you into the unfamiliar world of 1920’s football, and it easily sets up the premise that Clooney’s character, Jimmy ‘Dodge’ Connelly, is a diehard football man who will bring professional football up to its modern place of American obsession. The colors are beautiful, the costumes are perfect, and everything still looks rosy for the movie. Sadly, it goes down hill from here. As we meet the three main characters, little is done to make you feel connected to them. Clooney and Zellweger, who plays Lexie Littleton, are harsh (and both are looking a little old too), and their lack of caring or understanding for any other character makes it hard to like them or to hope for them to get together in the end. Kransinski’s character, Carter Rutherford, is so one dimensional that you begin to wonder if this really is the guy on The Office whose facial expressions make up a quarter of the dialogue of the show. To me, it appeared to be George Clooney trying to be the Coen brothers and failing miserably.

There are a few amusing moments. I loved the scene where Connelly and Rutherford start a fight. The stipulations of the fight are hilarious and show wonderfully the weaknesses of athletes. The end was interesting, but it leaves so to be desired as to how football went on from there. Bottom line - it maybe a decent rental if you want an easy flick that won’t blow you away, but truthfully I wouldn’t watch it again.

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