Clint Eastwood is like a fine wine: he
gets better with age. And I don't mean that he is as good as he was
before. I think he's better.
I admit I am not a fan of his early
stuff, the Spaghetti-Westerns and Dirty Harry's (please never tell
the great John Nolte I ever said that!). I don't think that those
movies are bad, but they just never grabbed me. It wasn't until I
saw In the Line of Fire that I truly appreciated Eastwood's skill as
an actor. But the older he gets, its as if the outer waxy layers are
melting away to reveal the raw beating heart underneath.
That is how it is with Trouble with the
Curve. Eastwood plays Gus, a talent scout for the Atlanta Braves.
He's responsible for finding some of the best players in the game
with the strength of his experience and instincts. But he is being
pushed out by new members of management who point out that Gus
“doesn't even know how to use a computer!” (gasp). Obviously the
film is a kind of anti-Moneyball, targeted against those who think
programs and computers gut the heart of the game. To make matters
worse for Gus, his eyesight is going so he can't see the games
completely. Only his estranged daughter Mickey (played by Amy Adams)
can help him as she takes time off from her law firm where she needs
to close a big case to be made partner. As the father/daughter scout
a potential star player, they spend time with former player, now
scout Johnny (Justin Timberlake).
There are no real surprises with
Trouble with the Curve. It is a by-the-numbers family conflict
drama. And a little too often the characters say what they are
feeling, rather than letting it be revealed by action. With the
exception of Gus and Mickey, all of the characters are pretty flat.
They are designed to be plot devices. The slimy manager played by
Matthew Lillard is designed to be hated. The player they are
scouting, Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill) is a typical arrogant jock. The
always good John Goodman brings some life to his role as Gus' boss
and friend Pete, but there's not much to work with. And most of the
acting is only average. Timberlake is not bad as the player who blew
his shot, yet still trying to hang on to some of the game. But I can
always tell that he's acting.
The exceptions here are Adams and
Eastwood. Adams is one of those actresses that can flow easily
between comedy and drama, which is helpful in this role that requires
both. She also conveys a strong drive and intelligence without being
off-putting. We immediately sympathize with her because she can't
seem to get through to her father, no matter how hard she tries.
Anyone who tries to connect to a parent without feeling like they
succeeded can easily put themselves into Mickey's shoes. Adams is
ideal in this role.
But most of the praise falls on
Eastwood. He can get more laughs with a grunt than most comedians
can with hours of jokes. He can elicit more tears from an audience
because of the power we see in that haggard, stony face as it
contorts from sorrow. Eastwood doesn't fight against his age. He
uses it to his advantage. Eastwood has a charisma that is not
created by a made up Hollywood exterior, but by the skill of an actor
who knows how to use the tools of his craft any way he can.
Trouble with the Curve is not a perfect
movie. But based on the audience reaction at the showing I went to,
the flaws are easily forgiven. The movie is simple, sometimes
syrupy.
But sometimes that's okay.
3 and ½ out of 5 stars
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