Leatherheads

You may have heard that this film is about American football and then forgotten about it- Don’t! This is a rom-com set in the roaring twenties and couldn’t be further from the NFL as it stands today.

Clooney plays Jimmy ‘Dodge’ Connelly, captain of the Bulldogs, a top flight team, but struggling to survive. The solution? Pay the top college player Carter Rutherford to drop out of his studies and woo back the crowds. As is the way with sport, big names mean journalists, especially when the top player is a celebrated World War hero. Cue the appearance of Lexie Littleton (Zellweger), who’s determined to stick around until she can get the real inside story on what happened with the Germans. Mix an attractive blonde with a team full of young footballers and heads will turn, with both the star player and the coach finding the journalist a very attractive proposition.

Where this film really gets it right is to focus on the comedy side of things, with slapstick lines such as “You're only as young as the woman you feel” giving you a feel of what’s to come.

The acting is as expected, with George Clooney providing another top-notch performance, ably supported by Zellweger and US The Office star Krasinski. If you’re looking for film heritage then look no further than the director’s self-styling in the mood of a Cary Grant like figure. There are also some truly authentic-looking sets to give a real sense of a 1920s piece.

So what’s the downer? Well, some of the scenes don’t quite have the impact intended and there’s less sizzle than there could have been in places, though we’ll forgive Clooney for that. Indeed, in his third outing as director it’s a marked improvement on Good Night, and Good Luck and will leave you going home with the smile that funny (though not silly) films are designed to induce.

Robert Gardner