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Leatherheads

Old-fashioned charm from Clooney, a nostalgic guy who's better in black and white

By Matt Pais

Metromix
April 3, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Pro football doesn't have nearly the support of college ball in 1925, and Duluth Bulldogs leader "Dodge" Connelly (George Clooney) knows his players will soon return to the mines and farms if the team can't stay afloat. The solution: Acquire Carter "Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski), a college star, war hero and subject of a profile-in-progress by reporter Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger), who's heard the athlete's war stories may be things of legend, not fact. Of course, Lexie attracts the affections of both Dodge and Bullet.
 
Big question: Can Clooney, in his first directorial effort since 2005's "Good Night and Good Luck," capture another period in history from a more comedic (and colorful) perspective?
 
Catch it: A rainy day movie all the way, "Leatherheads" is a loving wink to the old days, when guys were fellas, people said, "Here's the skinny," and it was OK when entertainment didn't add up to a hill of beans. The thing is, lightness like this needs to keep the laughs coming or at least play some emotional cards, but towards halftime "Leatherheads" stops being about humor and romance and rapid-fire banter and football and, well, anything.
 
Skip it: If you see football as just "grown men in tights and headgear" and don't care what happens to the players on the field or off.
 
Bottom line: It’s not Krasinski’s fault that Bullet's so passive--though he’s more developed than the other, indistinguishable players--and screwball fun doesn't last when it’s clear the energy's slowly leaking out. But Clooney and Zellweger make a dynamic old-school duo when the script lets them go at it, and the actors' spark makes it worth seeing them bicker their way onto the same team.

Bonus: The script was co-written by former Sports Illustrated colleagues Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly, so we trust them when the movie explains it was the home team's responsibility to provide the ball or risk forfeiting the game. But isn't it impolite for a guest to arrive empty-handed?

Video: Watch our review of 'Leatherheads'

What do you think of 'Leatherheads'? Email me: mpais@tribune.com