An IMDB “joint ventures” search reveals that Hollywood powerhouses Renée Zellweger and George Clooney have never once joined forces in a motion picture. This gross error in Hollywood casting history has finally been rectified with the modestly hilarious prohibition-era football comedy Leatherheads.
Which two actors can be so simultaneously suave and screwball? With lightning-quick repartee and chemistry rivaling the greats, Zellweger and Clooney elevate Leatherheads from silly to sizzling. Sure, the adorable John Krasinski does his darndest to melt your heart at every turn, and the reliable Stephen Root is at his Miltony-est–but it’s the film’s two A-listers who make the thing worth watching, even for this football-hating critic.
Once upon a time, college football ruled the world, and professional football was a dying business. When his financially failing professional team goes bankrupt, Dodge Connelly (Clooney) hatches a plan to recruit football’s only celebrity, a war-hero-turned-college-quarterback (Krasinski), to play for the defunct team. The plot particulars are a little bit fuzzy and not entirely compelling, but who needs plot when you’ve got this kind of star power?
Unfortunately, the moment either Clooney or Zellweger saunters and/or flounces offscreen, the lack of direction and rambling pace become apparent. The birth pangs of a sport that is now a ubiquitous nationwide obsession are sort of interesting to watch, but the action sequences themselves left me glancing at my watch, wondering when the movie would quit pretending to be a historical biopic and get back to being funny.
And funny it is, when the film plays to its strengths. Often touted as the heir to Cary Grant, Clooney proves himself worthy of the mantle (working the smirk/raised eyebrow combo like a champ), while Zellweger’s sassy reporter Lexie Littleton more than holds her own against the onslaught of charm that is George Clooney.
Leatherheads is fluff–ridiculous, zany, happy fluff–and the film’s shining moments occur when it lets the actors be their fluffy selves, rather than attempting to be a legitimate sports drama. If today’s NFL was this much fun, maybe you’d catch me in front of the TV on a few more Monday nights come football season. George Clooney for MVP, anyone?
Leatherheads stars George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, John Krasinski and Stephen Root.
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June 2, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Zellweger and Clooney: Together at Last in “Leatherheads” | FlickWatcher.com
[...] Stinger article, brought to you using rss feeds. I found it informative and I think you will too.Here’s some of the article An IMDB “joint ventures” search reveals that Hollywood powerhouses Renée Zellweger and George Clooney have never once joined forces in a motion picture. This gross error in Hollywood casting history has finally been rectified with the modestly hilarious prohibition-era football comedy Leatherheads. Which two actors can be so simultaneously suave and screwball? With lightning-quick repartee and chemistry rivaling the greats, Zellweger and Clooney elevate Leatherheads from silly to sizzling. Sure, the adorable John Krasinski does his darndest to melt your heart at every turn, and the reliable Stephen Root is at his Miltony-est–but it’s the film’s two A-listers who make the thing worth watching, even for this football-hating critic. Once upon a time, college football ruled the world, and professional football was a dying business. When his financially failing professional team goes bankrupt, Dodge Connelly (Clooney) hatches a plan to recruit football’s only celebrity, a war-hero-turned-college-quarterback (Krasinski), to play for the defunct […] [...]