Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a pair of conflicting reviews for the Bill Paxton directed golf flick THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED. The first is a rather negative opinion on the film and the second not so much. Enjoy!
Hi, Harry. I caught a sneak preview last night for the new Bill Paxton-directed golf "true story" THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED. I've been a fan of Paxton's since his greasy pork chop served in a dirty ashtray days. But, honestly, the guy should stay in front of the camera from now on.
GREATEST GAME tells parallel stories: the first being of "The Stylist" Harry Vardon, a golfing legend who somehow -- at least in this movie -- never attained official membership into a club. He wrote a book about, however, that was hailed as The Bible for golfers. The second story is about a kid named Francis Ouimet (we-met), the first caddy to ever win the U.S. Open. Or, maybe he was the just the youngest caddy. Or, maybe the youngest person -- I honestly couldn't tell you. I didn't study a course on the man before walking into this movie, and I shouldn't really have to. The screenwriter and director should, at some point, make it clear why the hell we ought to care about this poor boy and his rags-to-riches story. Not that I'm a dummy, but please, at some point, spell it out. Drop a hint.
The trailer makes it look like this movie is all about this scrub who no one saw coming in the golf world, a pretty girl from a higher class that takes a shine to him inspite of his upbringing whereas everyone else around him thinks of him as garbage, and his biggest rival. I wish the film itself had had as much focus. Vardon is a barely sketched character -- real, or not -- we know exactly two things about: he wrote a book, and he's haunted by certain demons. So... okay then. Ouimet doesn't even get the luxury of one thing. We know he plays golf, yes, but not why? What sparked his interest? Why does anyone take a chance on him? What is his drive -- is it a genuine love of the game, or just a class thing? Wanting to enter into an upper echelon society, and something comes along as the means by which to do it: kind of like Ethan Hawke, in GATTACA. An opportunist, if you will. Cuz I had no idea watching what was going on in this kid's head at almost any time with a club in his hands. The Shia Lebouf performance is charm-free and uninspired. He's not an asshole, but he's just not someone we're ever made to care about one way or another, either. He's not passionate about the sport, not constantly talking about it, not effusing golf philosophy into his every day actions. His expression rarely changes when he has screwed up his drive for the third time, or when he finds himself in the trees, or when he makes par. The game doesn't seem vital to his being, or in-his-blood, like, say, Matt Damon in ROUNDERS. He could've as easily been the first kid to make it to the finals of a sewing contest -- I still wouldn't have a clue why this film was greenlit.
It doesn't work as a romance (doesn't try, actually), so why bring a girl into it at all, I ask you? It certainly doesn't work as a character study. Nor does the movie seem to even be that much a fan of golf. It doesn't see golf in a new light. We don't learn anything we don't already know from ESPN. Nothing to go, hey, I never knew that... or hey, I never thought about it like that, before. Visually, it's redundant. Does every golf swing have to result in a swooshy zoomy close-up shot on its way to the hole? Occasionally, Paxton throws in a shot or two that add nothing; a smoke ring that settles around a pool ball; a junebug flying onto a golf ball. And, he wastes time on things that don't make that big a difference: an opera performance; the man Vardon takes on a partner for The Open; the whole first scene.
Result is a rambling, nondescript period piece that's got costumes, alright, but wants to coast on the sincerity of its earnestness. No sale. Who has the time or patience for something this pedestrian and draggy. I know it's early 1900 and everyone is reserved and non-offenseive (except with the class issue), but does that automatically excuse the lack of energy? Doesn't someone just really, really, REALLY adore golf and have to shout it from the highest mountaintop? I don't mean to shit all over it, but there's no bite to this material. And, it is accompanied by a numbingly bland score that's always *there* when least needed.
If I haven't already made my feelings clear: there is no reason for this movie.
J-Man
This one is the positive side of the coin, but doesn't really go into why they liked it. I have a feeling the talkbackers are going to be yelling a famous AICN talkback cry regarding this one, but I figured it would be good counter-point to the more negative review above. What can I say? I'm an optimist and want this movie to not suck!
Hi Harry,
I just caught a sneak peak at The Greatest Game Ever Played at Regal UA King of Prussia on Saturday night. I have to say that this is one of the absolute best sports movies ever made. It was brilliant. It is probably better if you actually like Golf. Personally as a famous line in a movie goes, “I would rather drink a bottle of turpentine and piss on a bonfire”, than watch a single round of golf, but this movie captures the action and the drama of it in a real cool way.
This movie is a lot of themes from Titanic in as far as second time out director Bill Paxton recognizes that social class and structure are at the heart of this turn of the century tale about two everyday men challenging the status quo – with a golf club.
I was very pleased to find out that this was an entirely true story. This could be the sleeper of the year and a serious fall contender. Disney really has the whole feel good sports movie thing down.
Now down to the spoiler-less details - The Story revolves around two golfers. Both of whom are average Joe’s in the turn of the century (the last one) who have a fascination with golf, the so called Gentlemen’s game. Both have to conquer their own inner demons, telling them they have no business playing the game because of their common status, yet they both excel. The inner moral of the story is about conquering the forces of nature that turns one into a winner and all others into losers in the field of individual sports competition.
I can not stress how well down this movie is. Like I said Bill Paxton, who is shaping up to be a good filmmaker, must have taken lessons from his Titanic director James Cameron on this one. Same time period, even the same costumes it seemed.
That’s it Harry. If you use this, call me Anglophile.
