Leatherheads

Slow to start Leatherheads, directed and staring George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski, more than picks up the pace. Set in the 1920s era of early professional football, at the heart of the story lays college football star and war hero Carter Rutherford, Krasinski, whose war story is rumored to be false. Both looking to benefit from Rutherford are Lexie Littleton, Zellweger, the outspoken Chicago Tribune reporter determined to expose the truth, and Dodge Connelly, Clooney, a pro football player looking to revive his team.

As the chemistry between Dodge and Lexie grows, a slapstick comedy ensues reminiscent of the antics shared between Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby. During a scene where a speakeasy gets raided the two escape after stealing uniforms from two police officers.

However, when the game is threatened by rules and the first football commissioner his elected, the plot twists to the history of how professional football came to be how it is today. As the slogan for the movie says, “In the beginning, the rules were simple. There weren’t any.”

The film captures the essence of the period from the wardrobe to the soundtrack, with musical interludes of traditional 20s music throughout the film, a method Clooney used in his in his second film Good Night, and Good Luck. Both main and supporting cast, including Jonathan Pryce and Stephen Root, engage in banter that’s entertaining all the way to the credits.

2 1/2 out of 4 Shells (based on a 4 shell scale)

—Shelley Green


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