 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|
|
|
 email this review to a friend
I think sports movies have said just about everything there is to say. Follow your dreams. Don't get discouraged. Never give up. Even if you are an underdog, you can still do it. Don't you dare listen to those uncooperative and nay saying parents. It all comes down to one last shot, one last touchdown, or one the big championship game. Give it your all. Never say never. Have I covered it all? THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED follows in the line of those c*cky, arrogant, and self absorbed sports movies. Such as THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES. Don't forget about GOAL: THE DREAM BEGINS. In which they think that their sport, their game is more important above any and all other games. Who the heck do they think they are? A little modesty and humility would sure be nice. The game they are talking about is the game of golf. As this film is a golf movie about a caddie turned championship golfer. Shia LaBeouf stars as Francis Ouimet, and yes that is a male, in-case you were wondering. He is from the poor side of the tracks in 1913 and working as a caddie. While being a caddie, he discovers he has a genuine love for golf and decides to join an amateur tournament. Much to the dismay of his poor, bitter, and deeply resentfull father. He is played very well by Elias Koteas. His father is bitter from having to work hard to just get by, while most of the golfers are arrogant, born into riches, and have it rather easy. But despite his father's comments, he decides to go into the tournament. He ends up missing out on going farther in the tournament, and gives up his dream of golf. Since his father fronted him the 50 bucks to join, with the collateral of if he loses, he quits golf. He is now working in retail when he gets offered a chance to compete in another tournament and place. At first he resists, since he has not played golf in a while, but eventually he decides to dust off that old dream and give it a shot once again. This angers his father very much, who tells him after the tournament, he can find a new place to live. He also picks up a very young caddie, and by young I mean young, in 10 year old Eddie, who is 10 going on 34, he is played by Josh Flitter. He also has time to flirt with Sarah, who is the father of one of the gentlemen, she is played by Peyton List. We see him go onto to much success this time around leading up to the 1913 US Open, as the 20 year old looks to face his idol, who he looked up to Harry Vardon. This is as they say THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED. Young Vs Old. Student Vs Teacher. Any other cliches you can throw in along the way as well. The film is based on a book and a true story, so I'm not trying to discredit what an amazing accomplishment this had to have been, but as a sport, golf does not film well very cinematically. A little golf goes a long way. Director Bill Paxton does get some good camera angles of the holes, the course and really digs down deep to get some nice looking shots. But there is only so much you can do with a sport like golf. It's just not that much fun to watch on TV or in this case the movie. I'll stick with miniature golf. I would have liked to see more about the strategy and skill that goes on in the golf. All we really have is him learning his swing and then boom, he's a pro. I know he probably picked up a lot from being a caddy, but show us what he picked up. Also, cut down on the golf scenes. Move them along. They move really slow, and are just not that much fun to watch. I liked the characters, much more then I ended up liking the actual golf game. I did like Shia LaBeouf quite a bit though. I think he has a real future in the movies as he has this quiet and cool subtle confidence in this film. He has an aura of mystery around him. I also did think that little Eddie was like a little John Goodman or Jackie Gleason, and was full of spunk, energy, and he is a life force. The father also played by Elias Koteas is very good at being stern, angry, and bitter. He's an intense actor and gets the intense moments of the film with his son right. The cast is on target and very likable. I also liked how the film shows us the narrowing differences between the poor and the rich and how they relate to each other. The film has a lot going on around it, outside of the golf. But with golf being not that interesting, the 2 hour running time, and the predictable plot, I can't say it's worth checking out. Although, it is different from most sports movies and does try new things. If this film was repackaged at 87 minutes, less time on the LONG golf scenes, and had a better pace, I think it would have been worth seeing. THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED is not the greatest movie ever made. -Tony Farinella Grade: C email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
RSS | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | About MatchFlick® | Press | Contact Us | FAQs
Partnership and Advertising Opportunities | Movie Database | Merchandise ©2004-2009 MatchFlick®. All rights reserved. ©MOVIE IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED AND THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS |