Movie review: ‘Leatherheads’ scores with Clooney’s humor

Welcome to 1925, a booming age filled with the aftermath of the Great War — men returning to tedious trades and also the dawn of professional football. Imagine a combination of “The Sting,” “The Natural,” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and you have the new film “Leatherheads,” which opened in theaters Friday. The film is directed by and stars George Clooney, as a down-and-out professional footballer who attempts to rejuvenate the sport by teaming up with a college hot-shot turned war hero.

Clooney’s Dodge Connelly can’t stand to play by the rules of football, since there never really were any in the first place, but, as luck would have it, times are changing. A federally-appointed football commissioner begins to call most of the shots, but in the process effectively purges the game of its fun and entertainment value. Connelly finds he must make the choice between selling out or being booted from the league.

Once on the same team, the two begin to compete for the affections of reporter Lexie Littleton, whose own desires conflict with her professional journalistic interests. Renee Zellweger plays the role of Littleton beautifully, and her wit and personality keep Clooney’s character playfully at bay. The romance isn’t really the movie’s focus, but it contributes to the film’s little-bit-of-everything feel.

Anyone who enjoyed Clooney’s tongue-and-cheek style of humor in the “Ocean’s 11” trio will recognize its edge in “Leatherheads,” as the film’s goofy premise is followed to conclusion with absolute sincerity. Unlike sharing the screen with another big name like Brad Pitt, Clooney works opposite the increasingly popular John Krasinski from TV’s “The Office.” The struggle between new versus old embodies much of the plot, and Krasinski makes for a fairly convincing 1920s athlete.

As previously mentioned, “Leatherheads” shares much in common with a few classics set in the early 1900s, doing them honor with a tip of the hat to their respective styles. Much of the movie is immersed in jazz and ‘20s music, like that in “The Sting,” giving a bar fight the small touch it needs in a truly light-hearted film. Clooney effectively immerses his audience in the desired time period, obviously bringing various tricks of the trade to his jaunt as director. Great acting, a unique plot, and its overall classic feel fuse together to make “Leatherheads” well worth the $8.50.

(Four stars out of five.)

David Phillips is a Cabrillo High School student. His movie reviews are written for his senior project. Reach him at emodmpl@gmail.com.