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Friday, September 21, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW
Trouble With The Curve
Un-Conventional: Eastwood As Baseball
Diamond Chair
Amy Adams as Mickey and Clint Eastwood as Gus in Robert Lorenz's drama "Trouble
With The Curve". Warner Brothers
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
FOLLOW
Friday, September 21,
2012
"Trouble With The Curve" succeeds
mightily in tying a warm-hearted tough-love father-daughter story to a theme of
underdogs and has-beens, resurrected to glory. As directed by long-time
producer and Clint Eastwood collaborator Robert Lorenz, the sentimental drama
about "outsiders" (Latinos, washed-up ballplayers, women, the aged) connects its
audience to the quiet struggles of its underdogs, making for a consistently
entertaining and sweetly affecting film.
Gus (Clint Eastwood) is in his eighties, a baseball scout who's seen it all.
Now with failing eyesight and an estranged daughter aspiring to partnership in a
law firm, he faces losing his multi-generation held scouting job. A much
younger scout is sent out to North Carolina to shadow Gus, a gruff sort who
growls, snarls. He seethes with a cynicism and bitterness that is comical
in only the way that Mr. Eastwood can. Gus is a less grim edition of the
character the iconic director/actor played in "Gran Torino", and he hardly
connects with daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), who coexists amidst a sea of sexism
at her law firm. Pitching legend Jimmy (Justin Timberlake) turned baseball
scout runs into Gus and Mickey and befriends the latter.
Mr. Lorenz's film is about people on the margins, and how their marginalization
by those in power positions goes and comes around like a curve in full circle,
to bite those marginalizing people on their rear ends. There are four
small scenes, including one where white males snicker about Gus, and one where
they scoff at Mickey. Another scene features a white top baseball prospect
badgering and mocking a Latino man selling peanuts. Of course all of these
hostile attitudes are exhibited at the doers' peril.
"Trouble With The Curve", also a film about judgment in the game of sport and
the game of life, features good work from Mr. Eastwood, Mr. Timberlake and Ms.
Adams, the latter two of whom enjoy a free, easy rapport that's charming and
believable. Mr. Eastwood and Ms. Adams simmer with tension. You
understand the feelings these characters have, the frustrations, their
vulnerabilities and their shortcomings. Each of these traits are blended
into a film that smiles and has fun with the little things in life as it
showcases some characters' scorns and barely-veiled contempt for others.
Mr. Lorenz also appeals to the tenderness and pathos Mr. Eastwood explores in
some of his films as a director, although "Trouble With The Curve" largely
avoids such sojourns until its final 40 minutes, which will likely move some
audience members. The journey to that apex of emotion and resolution is
genuine, sincere and at all times measured. As a movie experience, the
first-time director's film is light, plays things safe and wins you over as it
pulls at your heartstrings.
Also with: John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard, Chelcie Ross, Ed
Lauter, Bob Gunton, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Jack Gilpin.
"Trouble With The Curve" is rated
PG-13 by the Motion
Picture Association Of America for language,
sexual references, some thematic material and smoking.
The film's running time is one hour and 51 minutes.
COPYRIGHT 2012. POPCORNREEL.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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