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Leatherheads

Buzz says:   MPAA Rating: PG-13
Current Showtimes: No showtimes available

Often being considered a modern day Cary Grant, George Clooney’s newest directing and acting combo film, Leatherheads, channels his inner Grant like never before. In an attempt to pay homage to the screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s, Clooney drinks, charms women, and plays football in this sports comedy period piece.

Set in 1925, Leatherheads presents a professional football league in its struggling infant years. Dodge Connelly (Clooney) is an aging football player who’s team, the Duluth Bulldogs, is disbanded due to a lack of funds. In an attempt to legitimize professional football and keep playing, Dodge attracts college football superstar and war hero Carter “The Bullet” Rutherford (John Krasinski from The Office) to play for his team. Carter’s star power draws and makes the pro football more popular than ever. Unfortunately, Carter has some skeletons in his closet and razor-tongued reporter Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger) is on his trail.

Clooney’s previous two directorial achievements showcased his great visual eye, and Leatherheads is no different. The cinematography in the film is lush and perfectly suits the comedic mood of the film. This mood is created by several scenes doused in a fast-paced and furious humor much in the vein of the Marx Brothers movies. But alas, these scenes are too few and far between.

The main problem with Leatherheads is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be. The movie skips between dramatic and comedic scenes randomly, leaving the film feeling uneven and poorly paced and many random scenes feel completely out of place.

I admire Clooney’s sentiments, but Leatherheads fails to fully come together. If you’re a big fan of the screwball genre, it might be worth a watch.