Five Great Baseball Characters

1. Ray ‘Crash’ Davis (Bull Durham)

 

Kevin Costner and Baseball have always gone well together and his turn as veteran minor league catcher Crash Davis was a career best for the man. What makes Crash such an appealing character is the fact that he knows his career has past him by (except for his 21 glorious days in the majors) and he sets about becoming mentor to talent pitcher Ebby (Tim Robbins) to help him succeed where has failed. Also his superb speech about the things that he believes in will eternally rank as one of the most motivational ones in Baseball

2. Billy Beane (Moneyball)

A real life character yes, but Brad Pitt’s interpretation of the well noted Oakland A’s GM is truly fantastic. Managing one of the poorest teams in Baseball and placing his entire career on a risky idea involving sabre-metrics, Beane is literally living on the edge. But through all the uncertainty, we firmly root for this man due his steadfast approach to his idea and through this he changes the face of baseball forever- even if it means making tough choices and going against the people closest to him. His meetings with his scouts exemplify his attitude towards old time Baseball.

 

3. Ricky ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn (Major League)

Pitchers don’t come more entertaining than the Wild Thing, from the moment we see him getting the call to join the Cleveland Indians (from prison no less) we know this is no ordinary man. The man has a fast arm, but no control and this becomes a burden for the team. But as he learns the art of throwing a strike- he becomes the man with the golden arm. One of Charlie Sheen’s better post Platoon performances and through his devil may care attitude- a baseball movie legend was born! After watching this, I guarantee you will be singing X’s version of ‘Wild Thing’ continuously in the coming days.

4. Bruce Pearson (Bang The Drum Slowly)

One of Robert De Niro’s most unknown performances, but nonetheless one of his most powerful. Bruce Pearson is a semi-literate catcher for the fictional New York Mammoths who is currently dying from Hodgkin’s Disease. The organisation wants of him, but his friend Henry (Michael Moriarty) is determined to fight for him, but cannot explain why! De Niro’s firmly captures our hearts and his turn as simple natured Bruce is one of the most compelling, but as the team begins to rally around him it begins to fill his final days with joy.

5. Kenny Powers (Eastbound and Down)

Based upon notoriously loud and foul mouthed pitcher John Rocker, Danny McBride’s turn as Kenny Powers has lit up all four series of this fine comedy show. With an ego the size of the US, this man is an ex star pitcher whose lousy attitude has seen him thrown out of most MLB teams. Now he is being forced to pick up the pieces of his ruined career- but still refuses to accept his career is done. Oddly his supreme arrogance succeeds in drawing him closer to the audience! Purely because we want to just how a second chance would treat him. Or maybe it just because we love hearing “You’re Fucking Out!”

 

 

 

In My Corner: Review of Million Dollar Baby

New Cult Classic

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Director: Clint Eastwood

By Alex Watson

 

Modern day Clint Eastwood movies are a more mature breed where rather than relying on his famous threatening presence he has now focused more on character driven drama’s and the result so far have been fascinating, such as the emotionally charged Mystic River and his account of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in Invictus where Morgan Freeman led the way as Nelson Mandela. But perhaps his greatest modern achievement came from his tale of two lost souls finding common ground in the boxing ring in his tear jerking drama Million Dollar Baby.

Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a brilliant but only marginally successful boxing training based in Los Angeles and after being abandoned by his star fighter after turning down yet another title shot- he is left with nothing. But fate brings him into the path of woman boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) who shows great promised- although put off by training a lady, Frankie and his old friend Scrap (Morgan Freeman) see a great talent and together they could just go places!

Winner of the Best Picture Oscar in 2004, Million Dollar Baby is deservedly one of Eastwood’s career highs and this packs a big emotional punch throughout. Its main strength lies in the excellent script by veteran writer Paul Haggis which although to some may seem clichéd due to its Rocky inspired theme of underdogs, but its characterization cannot be faulted and through this we are presented with three compelling characters who are each running from past trauma’s but like each other, they all find comfort and acceptance in the ring.

Frankie is a man who is in constant conflict with himself, each week he writes a letter to his unseen daughter which as always is returned unopened and harasses his long suffering priest (F Brian O’Byrne) who openly scolds him. Maggie is a girl from the Ozarks in Missouri who hails from an unloving family and abusive past and by stepping in the ring she finds her own identity. Scrap is a man who has lost an eye due to staying in the ring too long and now

The scenes in the ring are where this drama really fires as Maggie’s excels with a series of one round knockouts and finally Frankie begins to see the potential in his new protégé and begins considering taking the risks he had previously avoided. But his gamble ultimately give the film an unexpected and heart rendering twist as Maggie takes on notoriously underhanded German boxer Billie ‘The Blue Bear’ and when the moment hits, there will be a horrified silence all around!

From there the final third of Million Dollar Baby takes a turn into unforeseen territory and for perhaps the first time in his career, Eastwood drops his usually cold front and takes on a newer and more vunerable side as he wrestles with a whole new conflict whilst watching his friend suffer. The closing scenes as the pair interact will melt even the most steely hearts as Maggie begs him to do something that very much goes against his core believes. Watching Clint shed tears will be astonishing to even his most die hard fans.

Eastwood excels as cranky old man Dunn and this will probably stand as his most accomplished performance as the ghosts of the past linger heavily on his face! Linking this to Frankie’s devout Catholicism works very well and his final dispute within himself provides with a great leading character. But its Hilary Swanks Oscar winning turn as Maggie that really wins our hearts as she battles against adversity to finally find her place in life- but Swank really comes to life in the final third as she deals with a life changing deal.

Morgan Freeman was finally awarded an Oscar for his turn as scrap and he provides fine support for the leads and as always his narration gives the film another layer.

Million Dollar Baby is not only a fine boxing movie but also one of the better dramas of this century so far- but first time viewers beware, this one is not to be taken lightly and it is quite possible that after viewing this you might want to take a moment to recover!

Show Me The Money: Review of Eight Men Out

Classic from the Vault

Eight Men Out (1988)

Director: John Sayles

By Alex Watson

There are some sporting scandals that really do rock sports fans to the core like Lance Armstrong’s cheating his way to seven Tour De France titles, The Italian Football scandals where Juventus where stripped of their title for match fixing and even more terrifyingly Mike Tyson’s shocking bite on Evander Holyfield! But for Baseball fans one event stands alone and that is the eight Chicago White Sox players who chose to throw the 1919 World Series! But what was the motive behind their decision? Iin 1988 John Sayles explored this in his critically acclaim movie, Eight Men Out.

After another glorious season, the Chicago White Sox players go to defend their World Series title against the Cincinnati Reds. But their penny pitcher owner Charles Comiskey (Clifton James) refuses to pay them a bonus even after their continuing brilliance! Sensing unrest, two small time bookies convince star players Chick Gandil (Michael Rooker), Happy Felsch (Charlie Sheen) and ageing pitcher Eddie Cicotte (David Strathairn) to throw the World Series and earn more money! But as the team falls under suspicion with some ‘questionable’ performance- 8 players will soon have their lives changed forever.

Criminally under viewed in the UK, Eight Men Out is one of the most heartbreaking and intriguing sports drama you will ever watch. John Sayles never once makes these players out to be martyrs of the game and is only interested in how this tragic tale unfolded! The players of yesterday didn’t earn the big bucks that the Major League players of today make and to many of them, throwing the series was a way of getting a good pay day, the gamblers are the real villains of this piece as they manipulate these easily led ball players into being banned from the game for life!

There is a sense of unfairness in this tale and it starts with Comiskey denying the team their bonus and leads the men into a sense of rebellion. The players themselves don’t seem to realize the implications involved and at first see this as a bit of fun. But their risk will claim many unfortunate casualties including star batsman Joe Jackson (DB Sweeney) who although involved is very ill educated and doesn’t seem to really understand quite what is happening and third baseman Buck Weaver (John Cusack) who angrily rejects the chance to be involved but was unfairly banned along with the others!

It’s the scenes on the field that really drive Eight Men Out as the seemingly unbeatable White Sox team begins to make shocking mistakes during play and after a while these errors become more and more suspect! As this affair goes on, star reporter Ring Lardner (played by Sayles) senses something foul is afoot and the manager Kid Gleason (John Mahoney) and straight laced player Eddie Collins (Bill Irwin) finally clue into the fact that their team is throwing this series away but are powerless to intervene and can only watch in anger as they lose to the fury of the home fans! But the aftermath will be severe as Lardner breaks the destroying story to the fans and this begins a riveting courtroom sequence as the 8 players accused fight for their careers.

The performances in this movie are ones of a high calibre and are lead by David Strathairn as Cicotte, a star player coming to the end and who simply wants a nice retirement package, through Strathairn’s world weary performance we see a man ashamed of his actions but is now in too deep! Although Charlie Sheen and Michael Rooker are both equally strong, it’s John Cusack and DB Sweeney who stand out most as the two innocent casualties of this betting scam!

Sweeney as Jackson gives a good sense of naivety as a man who is convinced to join his friends but sadly through no fault of his own is dragged down with them, while Cusack’s Buck Weaver is the voice of objection throughout but his cries will fall on deaf ears (Weaver would spend the remainder of his life fighting his ban to no avail!)

Eight Men Out is a must see for any fans of John Sayles work and is one of the truly great and under-rated sports films of years gone by. Its story of corruption makes this a must see and the ‘Black Sox’ team is one that makes for great viewing as we learn what would make such a great team permanently shame the sport they loved!  Once again Baseball proves a winning subject and with its great cast I highly recommend this.

Rocky Spin Offs That Could Potentially Work

For years now there has been rumours of Sly Stallone picking up the gloves as the Italian Stallion once more and given us the equally anticipated and dreaded Rocky 7- but with Stallone now turning his attention to Peter Segal’s boxing film Grudge Match starring Robert De Niro, it appears the Rocky makers are going in a different direction and instead focusing of Apollo Creed’s nephew stepping into the ring in spin-off film Creed. Upon hearing this I have to say this doesn’t appear to be the smartest idea in world seeing as Apollo was beloved in his own right and introducing extended family is unlikely to go down well with die hard Rocky fans (even though Stallone is slated to cameo).

Here is a list of ideas that could work or possibly be even worse that this idea,

Rocky Junior: Ain’t Over Till It’s Over: A modern day piece documenting Rocky’s son struggles to make it in the everyday world (oh wait that grounds already been covered!)… Oh well seems we will have to settle for another father son bonding film and Rocky Jr tries to stay out the ring, or does he??

Robot & Paulie: Whatever happened to Paulie’s cool Robot in Rocky IV? Well here would be our answer, this film document to rise and fall in an unlikely romance and Paulie and his unnamed machine try to make things work in face of Rocky’s declining wealth- but things will end tragically with Paulie killing his bot because she wouldn’t “Quit busting my chops!”

Mickey: The Early Years– We only ever learned snippets of Mickey’s limited boxing success and I think delving into his unknown past could prove good viewing and give us a keen insight into what made him such as angry old man.

Spider Rico: The Inbetweener: Man who appeared briefly in Rocky and Rocky Balboa, suffers a defeat to rising but equally ageing Rocky- spends 20 years doing nothing then reappears working in his former nemeses’ restaurant- just add in some life of crime stuff to fill the gaps and this should be fine.

Duke Evans- Building Some Hurting Bombs: Rocky & Apollo’s former trainer tries to find a life without boxing and returns to his former life to rebuilding himself. Probably realises life is dull without boxing and goes back to it! You cant have a Rocky film without this guy seriously!

Clubber Lang- Living Like A Fool: The once proud fighter has now been reduced to nothing so begins the long hard slog back to the top again, I would happily watch this just to see Mr T have his own film for once! Clubber Lang should have made another appearance- but Ivan Drago was just too awesome!

Ivan Drago: A chronicle of the former Soviet favourite who after losing to Rocky in Moscow is forced to flee without his horrible wife. Facing a hostile reception after defecting into the west, he gradually wins everyone over. Todd Noy already wrote a book in 1989 about Drago’s afterlife of the Rocky bout entitled ‘Drago: On Mountains We Stand’ if a producer can get hold of this, we have a winner!

I’m sure one day Rocky 7 will come to our screens; in the meantime the makers simply want to spread the wings not matter how far they can be stretched. Creed will be a … interesting idea but maybe not one that goes the distance!

Better Late Than Never: Review of The Natural

Classic from the Vault

The Natural (1984)

Director: Barry Levinson

By Alex Watson

Baseball may be a sport that will never catch on in the UK, but we sure seem to like the movies that portray it, such as Moneyball (reviewed on this blog last year) and the characters on display always seem to give us unlikely heroes likes Charlie Sheen’s Ricky ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughan in Major League and Kevin Costner veteran catcher, Ray ‘Crash’ Davis in Bull Durham. But few have raised our spirits that the quintessential comeback kid Roy Hobbs in Barry Levinson’s iconic sports drama The Natural.

In 1923 up and coming baseball player Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is given a tryout with the Chicago Cubs and looks set to become a big star, but a liaison with mysterious woman Harriet (Barbara Hershey) ends his dream when she shoots him and then leaps to her death! But in 1939, 35 year old Hobbs is given a chance with major league team the New York Knights. At first his comeback is dismissed as a joke by many- but when Hobbs shows his tremendous hitting ability, he will turn the Knights season around. But his success will come at a great cost to himself!

Many people will argue whether The Natural deserves to be among the elite sport movies of all time, but its story and redemptive theme make it great viewing all the way and with its iconic score by Randy Newman, it is impossible not to love this movie. The film begins idyllically with the young Hobbs carving his fabled bat ‘Wonderboy’ from a tree which has been struck by lightning and as he travels to Chicago we see a man with his whole life before him- but Harriet invites him to her room, we are given an almighty jolt and a dream comes crashing down!

When he makes his return 16 years later, Hobbs is a shadow of the man he once was and when he meets his grouchy old time coach Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) he snidely mocks him with “You don’t start playing the game at your age, you retire!” and confines him to the bench. It’s only when Hobbs literally ‘knocks the cover off the ball’ during a rain soaked game that Fisher realises that he has a star in his midst- much to the irritation of star player ‘Bump’ Bailey (Michael Madsen). But his success comes at a price and he gets involved with Fishers daughter Memo (Kim Basinger) and crooked gambler Gus Sands (Darren McGavin) his fine form is threatened!

Redemption plays a heavy part in the story of The Natural and Hobbs is determined to make right on the previous wrongs he has committed such as leaving behind his childhood sweetheart Iris (Glenn Close) and it doesn’t help having notorious sports journalist Max Mercy looking into his past after they had a chance encounter years earlier. Under Levinson’s smart and measured direction, Hobbs is never once made out to be a golden boy and his weathered face shows the ghosts of the past that he is trying to escape and even though he comes under immense previous from devious owner ‘The Judge’ to throw games, Hobbs stays true to his values and as he make his winning run at the films glorious finale- we know he has achieved his dream and in the process won our hearts!

Robert Redford makes for a perfect hero as Roy Hobbs and holds the screen with effortless charm, many Hollywood starlets passed on this role before him, but Levinson could not have chosen better than Redford, who through this proves he is a true legend of screen. Wilford Brimley is equally excellent as gruff old man Pop, an underrated supporting actor of years gone by; Brimley makes for an excellent father figure to Hobbs and through his constant groaning of “I should have been a farmer!” it provides the movie some great comedic moments.

Among the star studded supporting cast is a typical solid performance from fellow screen legend Robert Duvall as Max Mercy, a man who lives for a good story regardless of what effect it has on someone’s career. Although Basinger and Close are fine as the ladies in Hobbs life, its Barbara Hershey who has the biggest effect in her brief screen time as the alluring Harriet and from the moment we meet her, we know they will be trouble!

The Natural is not only one of the finest baseball films ever made, it is one of the sports genres true greats, yes in today’s film world it will be probably seemed clichéd, but is impact and influence are undeniable and should stand as compulsory viewing on how to never give up on your dreams- no matter what curves life throws at you!

Sports People Who Deserve Their Own Film

 

 

Mario Lemieux: The story of probably the most skilful hockey player that the NHL has ever produced who famously played through a history of bad health problems such chronic back pain and most famously Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (which caused him to initially retire in 1997). But he returned in 2000 to play the game he loved and also save his team The Pittsburgh Penguins from financial ruin by deferring his own salary to become the only ever Player/CEO in the league. This kind of story would make for the most exciting and emotional ride of the sports genre- how has this movie not been made yet?

Alex Zanardi: The story of the Italian racing ace would be the ultimate example of triumph in the face of adversity- his recovery from having both his legs amputated in an Indy Car crash in Germany in 2001 was one of the most horrific moments in racing history. But his return to the track has been an incredible story and the wins are still coming thick and fast- his double gold medals win in Handcycling in the 2012 London Paralympics was the cherry on top of this amazing tale!  If ever there was a feel-good tale tailor-made for Hollywood then it’s this one.

Michael Jordan: Greatest basketball player of all time calls time on the prime of his career which sees  numerous NBA winning seasons to go pursue his all time passion of playing baseball! Hoops great then languishes in the obscurity of minor league hell, so returns to the court to guide to Chicago Bulls to more glory- quits again! Years later he returns again to prove himself one last time. Would sell tickets on the name alone- plus this would be the ultimate testament to what a great athlete Jordan was!

Bert Trautmann: After his death a week ago today, a film about the former German Luftwaffe Paratrooper turned hero goalkeeper for Manchester City deserves a cinematic outing. His initially hostile reception by English fans when first arriving after world war two would make the perfect segment into his gradual acceptance by City fans and today he his holds idol like status. But it would be his incredibly display during the 1956 FA Cup final where he played the final 17 minutes with a broken neck that would make the most unforgettable viewing. This display of iron nerve was never seen again in English football.

George Foreman: The story of Big George would make a great comeback tale as he went from being one of the most feared Heavyweight Champ of his time to then being thrashed by Muhammed Ali in Zaire in 1974! But his return to the ring at 40 years old would make for a heart warming climax which culminates in his reclaiming of the title against Michael Moorer (though somewhat fortuitously) and his inventing of grilling machine- makes much green as a result! With a some comedic touches this could be a solid entry in the boxing genre!

Sebastien Coe: Being the mastermind behind the overwhelmingly successful London 2012 Olympics Lord Seb deserves an outing on the silver screen as he is one of the finest runners that Britain has ever produced and his rivalry with Steve Ovett would make for intense drama, particularly during their 800 & 1500 metre races at the 1980 Moscow games. His winning and determined spirit more than qualifies him for an entertaining and engrossing drama.

 

COULD BE INTERESTING I SUPPOSE…

Steven Bradbury: Australian Speed Skater becomes accidental hero during 2002 Salt Lake Olympics due to freak accident in the final- crowd goes wild with delight!

Tonya Harding: Explosive and fiery figure skater struggles in the face of rival Nancy Kerrigan- gets hubby to beat her up to succeed, gets discovered and is disgraced as a result! Later becomes lady boxer.

Ron Hextall: The most insane goalie ever to grace the NHL, who clocked up over 700 penalty minutes but also widely considered one of the games great shot stoppers- his revenge hit on Chris Chelios among others would make him the perfect love/hate figure.

 

Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Review of Rocky

Classic from the Vault

Rocky (1976)

Director: John G Avildsen

By Alex Watson

There’s rarely an underdog story film that will not reference Sylvester Stallone’s legendary boxing film Rocky and over the years the resulting film series has given fans an endless supply of thrills, cheers and notable quotes as ‘The Italian Stallion’ has seen off Carl Weathers, Mr T and big Swede Dolph Lundgren to become a truly classic character in cinema . But unlike the rest of the money making sequels, the first film still ranks as the one with most heart and due to its simple yet heartfelt story it has become not only one of the greatest boxing movie of all time but one of the greatest films of all time!

Struggling Philadelphia club fighter Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a man still finding his place in life whilst trying to win the affections of shy pet shop girl Adrian (Talia Shire) who lives with her drunken brother Paulie (Burt Young). Boxing coach Mickey (Burgess Meredith) views him with his distain due to his work for loan shark Gazzo (Joe Spinell) and thinks he has wasted his life when he had fighting talent. But then Rocky is given the chance of a life time when he is picked by Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) to fight him for the world title!

Rocky is a film that even today has the ability to lift our hearts and thanks to a great script by Stallone we are given a story of a man whose whole life exists on a million to one shot and his determination to go the distance! The most refreshing part about this film is the characters we are given and the struggles they face- Rocky’s attempts to court Adrian is the element that drives the movie and through their strains to interact, at first we wince, but when Rocky takes her ice skating- the ‘ice’ is gradually broken between them and he manages to uncover a sweet girl inside and her love will see him through!

Mickey is a character who at first is almost the villain of the piece due his constant sneer and rejection of Rocky. But when his title shot comes around Mickey comes begging to train him, which leads to one of the film’s most moving moments as the sceptical Rocky lets out his frustrations by punching a door shouting “You wanna see me get my face kicked in?” while Mickey listens from afar. However Rocky is able to see that his former nemesis is the one to guide and they are able to forge one of the great training partnerships of the sports genre.

But it’s in the ring where Rocky really fires and as Balboa meets Apollo in the ring, many simply dismiss him as a fall guy- until Rocky floors the champ in the opening round! From there Apollo quickly realizes he has met an opponent who simply won’t quit and has a hungry heart to prove himself and his trainer Duke (Tony Burton) warns him “He doesn’t think it’s a damn show- he thinks it’s a damn fight!”  As the two trade punches in the brutal fight, Rocky manages against all odds to go the distance- but the result is of little consequence to him and as he calls out “ADDRRIIAAANNN” there will not be a dry eye for miles and like the rest of the crowd watching, it is hard not to go wild with excitement!

The real charm of this movie is down to Sylvester Stallone, who gives what many will consider his greatest ever performance as slow brained Rocky and this a role that gives him the chance to demonstrate what he is capable of and Stallone gives it as bigger heart as Rocky demonstrates and was rewarded with his sole Oscar nominations! Sly had to fight to get producer to cast him as The Italian Stallion, but it was something worth fighting for because it is impossible to consider anyone else donning the gloves!

We are also given a stellar supporting cast who would go onto to be the backbone of this series with Talia Shire showing a great vulnerability as Adrian- a character who will go on to be his wife in the future films and Burgess Meredith giving his gravelly voiced best as old time trainer Mickey whose tough training with make Rocky into a deadly weapon! As champion Apollo Creed, Carl Weathers gives makes a great opponent and through his cocksure attitude, he becomes a memorable fixture of this great series!

Winner of three Oscar in 1976 (including Best Picture) Rocky still packs as bigger punch today as it did 37 years ago and captures a raw feeling that its sequels were unable to capture and through this has become a textbook example for any underdog story! If you haven’t yet seen this film, then better make up for lost time because you will never see a better Stallone film than this- word of warning though, best not start punching meat carcasses afterward because it may well hurt!

The Base is Loaded: Review of Moneyball

New Cult Classic

Moneyball (2011)

Director: Bennett Miller

By Alex Watson

For many in the United Kingdom, the game of Baseball is simply a word and that great names of the game such as Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are just names we’ve seen in books. Although the game may never catch on in this part of the world, we do however have a soft spot for the films about it, such as Kevin Costner’s film Field of Dreams and his other effort in Ron Shelton’s Bull Durham, also we got to see Tommy Lee Jones stunning portrayal of explosive Detroit Tigers legend Ty Cobb in Cobb (also by Ron Shelton).  But none have tapped into a the back office side of the game, so last year Bennett Miller gave us a fantastic portrait of one of the boldest management ideas in Brad pitt starring, Moneyball.

Based on a true story, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is General Manager of the Oakland Athletics, who are one of the poorest teams in baseball, despite a great history. After losing their final game to the New York Yankees, the team then loses their three best players to bigger teams. To find a solution, Beane hires young Yale graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who comes up with a radical idea- buying players who are consider defective by their old teams, but also have a great ability to get on base which means getting more runs! Together with their team of misfits, they will shake the Major League forever.

Moneyball is a truly great underdog story because it is built on an idea that is such a risk. Billy’s position from the very beginning is hanging by a thread and when he announces his bold strategy it is met with disgust by those closest to him. But even though it is a struggle at first, when the A’s begin to fire on the pitch it hard not to punch the air in delight! Even if you have no knowledge of Baseball, it is hard not be amazed by this story and by the end you will probably want to get more knowledge of the game.

Billy Beane is a smart man for two reasons, number one is making the most of limited resources and number two he refuses the play the game the way others expect him to play it, to do this he is not afraid to make the tough choices to make his idea a success (this will include trading away the teams one star player!)  And it is this rebellion against the game that makes him such an engaging character to watch.  Today the real Billy Beane still serves as GM to the A’s- so looks like the gamble paid off!

The focus on the off field action dominates the bulk of Moneyball and it is fascinating to finally see into this world,  the players in this world, are a distant thought and this mirrors Billy’s refusal to get involve with his team at a personal level (he doesn’t even watch the games due fear he will jinx them!)  And at the core it is a seemingly never ending sea of player trades.  By the end everyone will dizzy as one comes and another goes, this is exemplified in one brilliantly acted scene where Beane is on a three way call on trade deadline day, he is able to get player he wants by knowing exactly what to say and this shows his great fighting ability.

Brad Pitt gives a magnificent performance which has a great human element to it, Pitt plays Beane not as a hero of our times, but as a man with a plan who is gambling it all away, with Pitt there are no passionate speeches, just a fierce determination to see things through. For his brilliant efforts, Pitt was rewarded with an Oscar nod. He is joined by Jonah Hill in an equally excellent turn as idea instigator Peter Brand, more known for his comedic roles, Hill shows his depth when it comes to his serious side and his character develops well as the film progresses.

In a smaller role, Philip Seymour Hoffman is great as Art Howe, a manager who is struggling to manage his misfit team; the permanent look of strain on his face as the A’s get continually changed around provides some of the comedic moments of the film.

Moneyball is the most engaging sports film we’ve had in quite some time because here there are no star players, but a team of very different individuals about go on the winning streak of a lifetime and at the centre are two very different men, who will change things forever. To see one of Brad Pitt’s great performance then check this out- I expect after viewing this that you may just know a few Baseball names for the future!

Against The Ropes: Review of The Fighter

New Cult Classic

The Fighter (2011)

Director: David O Russell

By Alex Watson

When we think of boxing films, everyone normally thinks back to a bruised and battered Rocky Balboa crying out ADDRIIIAANNN in great anguish or we see Robert De Niro’s Jake La Motta taking a severe beating from Sugar Ray Robinson in Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. But no matter who the subject is boxing films always have a gritty story line to them and a great protagonist to follow. And when the boxing scenes hit they lift our spirits as the punch fly! Director David O Russell chose to bring us another real life story which showed family loyalty being pushed to the limit in his Oscar winning film, The Fighter.

This film is based on the life of ‘Irish’ Mickey Ward, a legendary Welterweight fighter from Lowell, Massachusetts. Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a fighter of great potential who is stuck in mediocre fight hell with his crack addict brother/ trainer Dickie Ecklund (Christian Bale) and his domineering mother Alice (Melissa Leo).  This film documents the troubles he faced with his brothers addiction and the strain it put on their relationship. It also feature his eventually comeback after injury to eventually challenge for the WBU Welterweight title! But more importantly he also finds love with barmaid Charlene (Amy Adams).

The Fighter is a story of a man who is constantly fighting battles, both in and out of the ring! His family situation although closely bonded is what is keeping Mickey back in life. In some ways Ward is trapped in life and is torn between settling into blue collar life in his local neighbourhood or going ahead with his dream. Although he is a very talented fighter and has offers from hot promoters, Mickey doesn’t know what do without Dickie in his corner and it is this reluctance that frustrates his lover Charlene.

His brother Dickie is the main source of the problem- a man who is still having delusions of grandeur and clings to his one great moment of fighting Sugar Ray Leonard back in the day. In reality his drug addiction has ruined his life and very soon he ends up behind bars because of it! All the while he is convinced that the documentary that HBO is making about him is about his supposed ‘comeback’ but in reality it is a feature about his crack addiction which will mostly likely shame him and his family!

This question of family loyalty is the main theme that surrounds The Fighter, their relationship is a very loving one but there are times where Mickey’s life seems to be falling apart. The female dominance on the family is apparent from the very beginning- his mother wears the trousers in that family and his many sisters follow suit. When Charlene enters Mickey’s life and begins to make him wonder about life without them, war is instantly declared and the family resort to desperate means to keep their man.

Unlike its predecessors, the fight scenes in this are very different portrayed. David O Russell shows them to us like we are watching Pay-Per-View rather than a Hollywood movie. Through his skilful directing we are given a clutch of great fights where we truly feel impact of the punches thrown!

But the most memorable moment doesn’t come from the fight scenes but from Dickie’s great inspirational speech to his brother during his title fight with Shea Neary. Russell sees no need for corny or weepy dialogue but instead shows Dickie telling his brother to take all his anger at him and to use it in the next round! This scene makes hearts soar highest and we see that the two sticking together has worked!

Christian Bale won an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of the drug addled Ecklund and it was well deserved as although Dickie is a loser in life, he loves his brother and through Bale he finds warmth that makes us root for him. Wahlberg is similarly brilliant as Ward, as he has shown us in recent years, the man is a fine straight actor and it could lead to something truly brilliant in future. Melissa Leo’s performance as Alice also earned her an Oscar as well; her mother figure is one that we aren’t likely to forget anytime soon.

Comparison to Rocky are inevitable with this piece, but The Fighter is another kind of film altogether and has a heart that is undeniable. The two central characters are characters from a very scrappy background, but it is this feeling that elevates the film as the two have a world to fight their way out from! Mr Balboa please come in- your time is up!

Golden Britain: Chariots of Fire Review

Classic From The Vault

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Director: Hugh Hudson

By Alex Watson

Great Britain at the moment is in a state of Olympic fever! London hosts the games for the first time since 1948 and we all hope it is a success. Our history of Olympic athletes has brought us some of the true great names of years gone by such as Steve Redgrave, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Daley Thompson and Kelly Holmes. But one Olympic theme that tends to stick in the mind came from Hugh Hudson’s classic drama, Chariots of Fire. It gave the story to two men both competing for glory and the different adversities they had to overcome. It was a heart warming tale of competitive spirit and has given film one of the moment memorable opening sequences of all time.

The story of Chariots of Fire follows two separate athletes, Jewish runner Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Scottish fast man Eric Liddell (Ian Charleston). As mentioned both men run for different reasons, Abrahams runs against the prejudice he faces from fellow students at Oxford while devoted Christian Liddell runs for the glory of God. The two men become rivals as time goes on and together they aim for glory at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.

From the very moment that Greek composer Vangelis’ iconic theme start playing the hairs on the back of our neck start to stand up. Although it has now been parodied to death in the modern day, this beginning scene of the young British hopefuls jogging across a beach is still deservedly iconic and as we re-watch we can only wonder what each man is thinking from the playful smile of Lord Lindsay (Nigel Havers) to the hard concentration of Abrahams.

But even in light of its success, years on many critics are still dismissing this film as some over-rated piece of schmaltz that is un-deserving of any accolades. Chariots of Fire is a magnificent piece of work that is much more than about a race this film brings about many things such as the power of faith, the difference between class and the price of glory. But the film is driven forward on the pure strength of character, each character has a desire to succeed whether it is fighting anti-Semitism or believing that God gave you a purpose. It is these elements that make these characters great.

Abrahams is notoriously difficult as a person, he’s got arrogance about himself brought on by hard- nosed Oxford Deans who sneer upon him. As a runner failure is not an option, but when defeat occurs against Liddell in an early event, Abrahams sinks into a deep depression and is only rescued by great trainer Sam Mussabini. Together the two make his short sprints into a deadly weapon and soon he is a threat to great American runners Charley Paddock (Dennis Christopher) and Jackson Scholtz (Brad Davis).

Liddell however, is a conflicted man torn between his own personal glory and giving his life to God and running the family mission in China. Through his sermons to people in the rain after events he states that we wants them to do more than watch a race but ‘to take part in it’. But its Charleston’s scenes with Liddell’s devout sister that pack the big emotional punch and here the great Scot truly questions whether an Olympic medal is worth all this? Problems will arise when Liddell refuses to run on the Sabbath- even with pressure from the Prince of Wales his faith is absolute.

Ben Cross and Ian Charleston give a fine pair of central performances, Cross’ hard intensity gives Abrahams a fire that make his presence felt on screen! Since this Cross has been largely absent from our screen and it is a crying shame because here he is simply magnificent. The late Charleston (who died from aids in 1990) is brilliant as the quietly confident scot Liddell; he stands as the voice of reason in this and through this Charleston gives him a complexity that makes his character rich! But its veteran Ian Holm who steals the show as Sam Mussabini, his frank and honest comments against Abrahams and the athletic world provide the comic relief for the film.

Chariots of Fire is a great British film for so many reasons, it gives us a powerful story of triumph against the odds and gives a clutch of characters that are memorable for so many reasons. Hudson’s direction is superb and he has given us an iconic film for all time. If you want the perfect way to warm up for the Olympics then this is the best way to begin! Be warned though, the Vangelis score will be playing in your head for days to come!