This movie explores the early, early days of professional football, with the less-than-scrupulous intentions, the total lack of official rules, the helter-skelter scheduling, the catch-as-catch-can transportation and the insecurity of trying to scratch out a living at it. The dialogue is very witty, particularly between George Clooney's "Dodge Connelly" and Renee Zellweger's "Lexie Littleton." Their characters didn't generate much sexual heat, though. (George Clooney isn't THAT good an actor!)
This movie had a huge cast that I relished:
- George Clooney ("Michael Clayton" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") getting thoroughly muddied, knocked around and generally made fun of...which was nice, seeing as how he also directed!
- Renee Zellweger ("Chicago" and "Cold Mountain") is an unscrupulous newspaper reporter who is going to "cook some- one's goose!" (She just isn't very pretty, is she...)
- John Krasinski ("Jarhead" and "License to Wed") plays a WWI war hero who is a deeply honest, well-meaning "good guy" who happens to play football very, very well.
- Jonathan Pryce ("Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Very Annie Mary") becomes the Bulldogs' smarmy first team "agent."
- Jack Thompson ("The Good German" and "December Boys") is Zellweger's editor at the paper. I've been a fan of this Australian actor since his "hunk" days, long, long ago!
- Steven Root ("No Country for Old Men" and "Mad Money") who is one of the team's boosters; although nothing will ever top his stapler-centric character from 1999's "Office Space!"
In addition, there were familiar faces playing football team members, members of the press, fans, speakeasy patrons, soldiers and I even spotted Randy Newman doing the honors at a piano during a barroom brawl! His soundtrack had just the right rinky-dink, Rudy Vallee-type sound, so when authentic songs from that period were played, they fit right in.
I enjoyed the movie and will like the DVD even better, as some of that great dialogue got by me...
Posts
