‘Million Dollar Arm’ plays at a baseball pace
Million Dollar Arm tells the story of J.B. Bernstein, played by Jon Hamm, and his attempt to recruit baseball players from India to save his sports management business. All of the stereotypical sports film clichés are here. The underdogs rising, falling and rising again, but the film is based on a true story, and it is Hollywood.
Alan Arkin does well in his limited role. The two actors that play the would-be baseball players, Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal, and the Indian baseball manager, Pitobash, do a credible job in their roles. There really isn’t any one performance that stands out, but there is no performance that is lacking. Is the love interest really necessary? Lake Bell does a stellar job in the understated and seemingly superfluous role. The development of the relationship between Brenda and J.B. seems forced for the sake of the film. In the end, this film is kind of like winning a game on a walk. A win is a win, but winning that way isn’t very satisfying. Million Dollar Arm won’t waste your time or money, but it won’t stand out in your mind any more than the $8 foot-long with mustard that you’d get at a game. |
See Romney's Review of Million Dollar Arm on Movie Pilot
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