Directed by: Ric Roman Waugh
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Melina Kanakaredes
Sassi’s Star Rating: 3/5

The Rock takes a serious turn as a father who would do anything for his son in the new action/drama Snitch. It’s a smart departure for the guy who if you look at his release schedule, seems to be the hardest working man in Hollywood at the moment. Somewhere between WWF SmackDown! and Fast and the Furious 6 he has really honed his ability to deliver a good performance. With Snitch, Johnson proves his acting chops and flips the bird (figuratively offcourse) to all of his deriders.

When the son of self-made businessman John (Johnson) and his estranged wife Sylvie (Melina Kanakaredes) is arrested for possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, both are shocked. Jason (Rafi Gavron) is a good kid who has always run with a good crowd. But having signed for a package from a friend which turned out to be filled with methamphetamines, Jason is facing a minimum ten year gaol sentence – unless he snitches to the cops and helps them make another drug arrest.

Not knowing any dealers, and refusing to set anyone up the way his friend did him, Jason refuses to co-operate with police. Luckily his father just happens to be one of the toughest men in show business and he strikes a deal with the politically ambitious District Attorney (Susan Sarandon) to bring down a major drug player in return for leniency on his son’s sentence.

Written and directed by a former stuntman, and staring a pro-wrestler, you might expect all bang and no buck from this film. Instead what you get is an action filled drama rather than a drama filled action. Snitch is a slow burner and I mean that in the best kind of way. The premise is a difficult one to get past audience members so Waugh smartly spends his time kneading the concept into credibility. An unglamorous look at the drug underground and the system struggling to combat it, Snitch carefully piles on the tension so when those action sequences do come, they really explode.

The titles will tell you that this is a true story – but I initially thought marketers might have found a better strategy in leaving the whole thing off and just letting the audience go with the flow of the film instead of prompting them try and figure out in what world a US DA would ever support a civilian undercover operation to infiltrate drug cartels in exchange for his son’s freedom. Turns out it’s in this world those events would happen – the true story claim is a real one, as chronicled the PBS Frontline special which inspired this script to be written. It’s an unsettling feeling when real life is stranger then fiction. Waugh and other writer Haythe’s treatment of the incredible story that has laid the groundwork for this film really works brings to the forefront just how out of control the war on drugs has become.

Snitch also raises interesting questions about why the minimum sentence for first time drug offenders is less than that of rapists or murderers, and whether ‘snitching’ laws are targeting the right kind of criminal. It may be deafeningly clear which side of the fence this film sits on but it cannot be said that it doesn’t give you food for thought.

All in all Snitch boasts a solid cast and entertaining direction. I would have liked to have seen more of Benjamin Bratt who is engaging as Mexican cartel boss El Topo but isn’t given enough screen time to really play it out. Also good are Jon Bernthal as the ex-crim that reluctantly gets drawn back into the game, and Michael Kenneth Williams playing intimidating middleweight drug boss Malik.

An entertaining film rooted in a compelling story and a solid performance from The Rock, Snitch is worth a trip to see on the big screen.

In cinemas now.

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Paige

Directed by: Robert Redford
Starring: Robert Redford, Shia LeBeouf, Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Brendan Gleeson
Sassi’s Star Rating: 4/5

When Sharon Solarz (Susan Sarandon) steps out of her car to pay for a tank full of petrol it’s the beginning of the end of her freedom. She is arrested by the FBI for the part she played in a murder 30 years prior as part of the Weather Underground; a radical left wing organisation opposed to the Vietnam War. For decades Solarz had been leading a double life, her children never knowing that she was in fact one of America’s most wanted fugitives. Shepard (Shia LeBeouf) is the small time political reporter assigned to cover her story.

The further Shepard digs into the case – the more that doesn’t add up. After he talks to the lawyer who knocks back the Solarz case (Director Robert Redford as Jim Grant) Shepard looks ready to bust open a case even the FBI haven’t been able to crack; the whereabouts of Solarz’s accomplices from all those years ago. And so begins a cross country chase as Shepard, Grant, and the FBI reignite the trail of a 30 year old cold case that is more complicated than they could ever have anticipated.

LeBeouf is engaging as the cocky, young journalist, desperate to break the story yet wholly uncaring of the consequences. His performance is met by Redford’s, who even at seventy-six is still able to steal the screen (and the audience’s hearts) as this new breed of thinking-person-over-fifty’s action hero. Forget robbery and murder – it’s a crime how good this man still looks at his age. It’s also a felony to diminish his weighty performance and direction with talks of looks… but that tousled golden mane is just so damn distracting.

Redford is certainly keeping good company with the all star cast he has assembled to fill out even minor roles in this film. Nick Nolte, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins and Chris Cooper are among the many famous faces that pop up to lend their hand to the story then disappear as fast as they appeared. You know you’ve been treated to a fantastic cast when there are too many good names to list in the ‘starring’ section of your review. A film like this must be akin to a very different type of film-porn for casting directors.

This intelligent fugitive thriller hits a lot of the right spots with its mix of historical idealism and contemporary crime. If you are looking for a film that will stimulate your mind as well as your adrenalin then The Company You Keep is well worth your time.

Catch it while you still can, in cinemas now.

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Paige

Directed by: Pablo Larrain
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco, Antonia Zegers
Sassi’s Star Rating: 4.5/5

The first few moments of this film really didn’t impress me. Looking at the blurry, multicoloured titles I thought that I had walked into yet another 3D movie without picking up the requisite glasses (yes, it happens more often than you’d think for someone who spends a such a significant portion of their life in cinemas). It took a quick look around to realise that I wasn’t the only spectacle-less reviewer in the house.

I’d read the situation wrong, No was actually in 2D after all. My eyes were just struggling to adjust to the image quality of the Sony U-Matic tape that Larrain has filmed on. For those playing at home it’s that muted, blurry type of film that was widely used in the seventies and eighties. Where the effect is off-putting at first it very quickly becomes fascinating and then ultimately striking as you are pulled right back to the era the film is set in.

No marks the third film in a loose trilogy of sorts by director Pablo Larrain exploring life in Chile under dictator Augusto Pinochet’s reign. It’s 1988 and his government is bowing to international pressure to validate his leadership. They decide to hold a token plebiscite, in which the Chilean public must vote Yes or No to Pinochet remaining in power. An equal 15 minutes of television broadcast time is allotted to both the Yes and the No to broadcast their campaigns. The No team know that they can’t win, but they know this is their chance direct some well aimed hits.

Young and successful advertising hot shot René Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal) is approached to lead the Yes campaign, but the only freedom Saavedra is used to selling is the superficial concept he underpinned his latest cola campaign with. Anyone who has worked in marketing or advertising will be simultaneously impressed and repulsed by just how bang on the rhetoric captured in this film is.

Saavedra is a little too old to still be riding a skateboard, a little too cocky to be respected at work, and a little too hung up on his revolutionary ex (played by Larrain’s partner Antonia Zegers). He doesn’t want anything to do with the campaign at first, but when faced with the unoptimistic pitch the No is presenting he can’t help but get involved.  Why can’t the Yes win? Why can’t they even try? He might be a bit of a joke, but when it comes down to it Saavedra knows what he is talking about.

And he is going to sell it the only way he knows how; with rainbows, catchy jingles and celebrity endorsements. Larrain masterfully intertwines new footage with actual footage from the 1988 campaign and the result is seamless. It’s not just powerful outside the story, but also within it. Struck harder than anticipated Pinochet’s team begin to fight back hard, and they’re not playing fair. Saavedra’s job is further made difficult when his boss (Alfredo Castro) decides to work for the Yes campaign.

A blend of compelling drama and dark comedy with a fantastic cast and engaging writing, No is a testament to interesting filmmaking. One can see why is has been generating so much awards buzz over the past year, this is one of my top films of 2013.

No is in cinemas now.

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Paige

Directed by: Mike Newell
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Holiday Granger, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robbie Coltrane
Sassi’s Star Rating: 3.5/5

There is a lot of pressure for filmmakers to be constantly reinventing the wheel, especially when that wheel has been rotated as many times as Great Expectations has been over the years. One then wonders what the audience reaction will be to Newell’s latest version of the well loved novel, which decides resolutely to play it straight with tradition. Those who loved Alfonso Cuarón’s 1998 version (aka the Gwyneth Paltrow version) will probably label Newell’s incarnation unadventurous, while others will applaud it for staying (relatively) true to Dicken’s original text. Either way, it is hard to argue that this latest version is not a solid film.

Pip (played as an adult by Warhorse star Jeremy Irvine, and as a child by his brother Toby Irivne) is an orphan child, living life rough under the harsh hand of his older sister (Sally Hawkins).  While visiting his parent’s graves he is accosted by an escaped convict (Ralph Fiennes) begging for food – which Pip provides in the form of Uncle Pumblechook’s Christmas pie.

Pumblechook (Little Britain’s David Walliams) volunteers Pip as a playdate for the young Estella (Helena Barlow and later Holiday Granger) and he must turn up as instructed and perform for the entertainment of the eccentric Miss Havisham. Despite her cool and callous exterior, Pip is captivated with the beautiful young heir – even as Miss Havisham warns that Estella will only break his heart. That she soon does when Pip is banned from coming to see Estella again.

So imagine Pip’s surprise when as a young adult he is approached by a lawyer who claims that an anonymous benefactor has left Pip a sizeable fortune, only to be accessed under the conditions that he moves to London to become a gentleman. Pip has great expectations you see, as long as he agrees to never change his name.

Jeremy Irvine again proves himself to be an amiable leading man, with much of the film resting on his relatively new shoulders. Fiennes takes a stab at a thick cockney slang as Magwitch, while who could be more perfectly cast as the eerie Miss Havisham then the (slightly less) eccentric Helena Bonham-Carter? Surprisingly, though adapted for screen by the celebrated mind behind great British love story One Day, David Nicholls, the romantic sub-plot does not overwhelm the film. We’re given a good dose of suspense to play with here, and it is played out beautifully on the film – even for those whom know what is coming next.

This reviewer was most impressed by Newell’s portrayal of the Finches Club – a wealthy London gentlemen’s club patronised by adolescent minded dandies who like to misbehave. If you think boy’s nights are bad now, be dismayed by the male bonding that used to go down circa 1860.

Handsomely shot, finely acted and well scripted; Great Expectations is well worth seeing for a slightly twisted period jaunt. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it will keep Dickens fans and newcomer’s motors running.

Great Expectations is in cinemas now.

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Paige

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum
Sassi’s Star Rating: 4/5

Often the hardest part of reviewing is striking just the right balance between enticing readers with plot details, and giving away all the best bits of the film. With a narrative as juicy as Side Effects it’s a shame to tell you anything more than the bare minimum.

We meet Emily (Rooney Mara) on the eve of her husband’s release from gaol. Martin (Channing Tatum) has been inside for four years after being prosecuted for insider trading. Reintegrating back into normal life isn’t easy for the pair – particularly for Emily, who suffering from depression tries to kill herself. She comes under the care of Dr Jonathon Banks (Jude Law) at the local hospital, and following the recommendation of her former Psychologist (Catherine Zeta Jones) she is trialled on a new anti-depressant, Ablixa.

From there…I’d love to tell you more, but I fear I’ve already said too much. I can let slip one last comment though: we all know just how scary and unpredictable the side effects of new medications can be.

Soderbergh has hit the nail on the head again with this smart psychological thriller that pulls all the right punches. He’s also shot and edited the film under his usual pseudonyms (ten pints if you recognised them in the titles!). I think he probably deserves to pat himself on the back for this one – the one man band has pulled through again with intriguing results.

Jude Law is in excellent form in his second Soderbergh movie of late (he starred in Contagion) while Channing Tatum has also been pinched from another Soderbergh hit Magic Mike. The former guides you through the twists and turns with confidence, while the later reveals himself still stand up as quite the charming lead away from romantic declarations and gyrating hips. But it is Rooney Mara who is the scene stealer with a stunning performance that is worlds apart, and above, from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

This review comes with a plea; please don’t read any more reviews of this film, and not just because we don’t want you checking out the competition. I’ve seen too many reviewers giving away too many details without even including the inane cry of SPOILER ALERT (because let’s face it, no one ever really stops reading when they see that shiny beacon of temptation do they?) It’s a shame because the best thing about this film is that there is no way to predict what is coming next. In fact you’re so busy trying to process the last mindtwist that you don’t even try. So if you want the pleasure of seeing the film the same way the critics did – walk in with a blank slate. You’ll thank me for it.

Side Effects is in cinemas now. Make sure you see it now, doctor’s orders.

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Paige

Directed by: Richard La Gravenese
Starring: Alice Englert, Alden Ehenreich, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson
Sassi’s Star Rating: 3.5/5

Supernatural romance fans after a bit of escapism will enjoy this sweet teen romance with added bite. Beautiful Creatures is Twilight 2.0, just with witches instead of vampires and better production values. Another alum of the YA book series to film series class, Richard La Gravenese’s latest foray has a lot to keep you entertained.

Trapped in the middle of small town nowhere USA, Ethan Wate (Alden Ehenreich) dreams of seeing the world. There isn’t much interesting in Gatlin, until Lena (Alice Elglert) turns up, that is. Guarded, intelligent, and fiercely sarcastic the understated beauty steals Ethan’s attention from the get go. But Lena is reluctant to trust Ethan, tormented by her bible-bashing peers because they believe her uncle Macon (Jeremy Irons), the rich town recluse, is a devil-worshipper.

Ethan finds out that the accusations aren’t too far from the truth. Lena is a caster (or witch to the uninitiated) and is waiting for her sixteenth birthday when her true nature will be revealed as innately good or evil. There’s no coming back from whatever nature chooses for her – which kind of sucks if she transforms into an unstable, murderous siren.

All signs point to a hit as the film kicks off to a promising start, but Beautiful Creatures slowly loses itself in its own mythology as the film progresses. A plot that relies on the same fear of female sexuality that dominated  1970’s horror films is a bitter pill for a 2013 audience to swallow, even if the audience is made up primarily of teenage girls. Yet, paranormal fans will be pleased that the story gives you more to work with than just an all-encompassing romance. La Gravenese has created just the right atmosphere for a film that toys with the dark side and thrown in a few scares for good measure.

The film’s saving grace is a fantastic cast. Englert (daughter of The Piano director Jane Campion) is engaging as a leading lady with a sensibility beyond her years and experience. Ehenrech boasts an easy American charm that wins over a new school of young hearts with each toothy grin. You know you’re watching two upcoming stars when you’re more drawn to their performance than to that of Jeremy Irons or Emma Thompson (who excels in crazy as Lena’s evil mother scorned, Sarafine). La Gravenese has written and directed his way threw a slew of romantic classics including P.S I Love You, Paris, Je T’aime and Water for Elephants, and it is obvious that he knows exactly how to get the best out a love story, including the laughs.

If you’re in a post Harry Potter/Twilight/Hunger Games slump then Beautiful Creatures might tickle your fancy with its endearing romance, eerie mood, and supernatural lore. In the very least it’s worth watching to catch the fresh new faces before they become something big!

We’ll be looking out for the sequel! Beautiful Creatures is in cinemas now.

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Paige

Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Keira Knightley, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jude Law, Matthew MacFadyen, Domhnall Gleeson
Sassi’s Star Rating: 4/5

In the battle for the Valentines Day box office Roadshow have pulled out all the stops with Anna Karenina; arguably one of the grandest love stories ever told; if you like the kind of tragic surrender that has you as petrified of falling in love as it has you enamoured by it, that is.

It’s the novel that Dostoyevsky called ‘a perfect work of art’. Written in three weeks, perfected over five years; Tolstoy’s epic exploration of love, morality, religion, and happiness is set within the rigid structure of late 19^th century Imperial Russia. Anna (Keira Knightley) holds an envied place in society: the beautiful wife of Karenin (Jude Law) an influential politician and holy man, a ‘saint’ of motherland Russia. Anna travels across country to convince her sister-in-law Dolly (Kelly Macdonald) not to leave her husband (a delightful Matthew MacFadyen) who has been indulging in a string of liaisons with lower class women.

On the train Anna meets handsome cavalry officer Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and immediate attraction becomes dangerous temptation as the two begin to play out a scandalous affair front of polite society’s disapproving eyes. Their decadent passion is contrasted by that of Levin (Domhnall Gleeson); his unrequited love for Dolly’s sister Kitty (Alicia Vikander) prompting him to retreat to his simple existence amongst his workers on the farm.

There have been many filmic adaptations of Tolstoy’s novel before, but ever one this opulent or this sensual. Simultaneously trapped in one location, while traversing the Russian hinterland, Anna Karenina is a triumph of aestheticism for director Joe Wright. Set in a dilapidated theatre the camera swerves between scenes as if moving through sets on a stage. Backstage corridors turn to sidewalks and wings open up into endless fields, while the actors dance around each other in a choreography that will not let you forget either the history of this work as a theatre and ballet performance, or the history of this social class as performers.

The sumptuous production design by Sarah Greenwood is decadence defined and a feast for cinema-goers eyes. Special mention must be made of the work of Costume Designer Jacqueline Durran whose instinct to blend 19^th century silhouettes with as late as 1950’s styles results in some breathtaking designs which I daresay will go down in film, and fashion, history. A tight screenplay by the celebrated Tom Stoppard subdues this tome to a highly watchable piece for modern audiences.

The remarkably stunning Knightley will have her detractors but it is impossible to say that she has not approached this role with conviction and passion. Law is almost unrecognisable as Karenin, but this reviewer was particularly engaged by relative newcomer Domhnall Gleeson who brought a sweet sense of humility to Levin.

Passion, betrayal, lust, and tragedy – Anna Karenina is one hell of a rollicking Valentine’s date. Exploring love in all its forms this above par historical romance might just be the date night trick for budding new romances. As long as reality doesn’t mimic fiction…

Anna Karenina is in Cinemas now.

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Paige

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Staring: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
Sassi’s Star Rating: 3.5/5

Smoking gats, pretty dames, and sharp suits are the basis for Ruben Fleischer’s new gang flick Gangster Squad. Set in 1940’s Hollywood(land), Gangster Squad follows the rise of notorious real life gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) to power – and the vigilante group that tried to take him down.

Recently returned war hero Sgt John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) is back in L.A and doesn’t like what he sees. The paradise he left has been overrun with prostitution, gambling, and drug trafficking in his absence – all courtesy of the new kid on the block – brutal crime lord Micky Cohen. Tough guy O’Mara is sourced to lead a small crime force, commissioned by Police Chief Parker, one of the only cops at the top which hasn’t been bought out by Cohen. The trick? The squad is completely off the books – they’ll work in complete secrecy: no badges, no official resources, and no backup if anything goes wrong.

O’Mara and his pregnant wife (played by Mireille Enos) hand assemble a motley crew including the talented Michael Pena (End of Watch) as a wet behind the ears newbie, Giovanni Ribisi (Ted, Contraband) as the brainy, bomb expert, Robert Patrick as the hardened sharp shot, and Anthony Mackie as a knife welding ghetto cop. In other words Fleischer has assembled a talented cast of familiar faces which endear you to the brotherhood – even when they begin to question whether there is any difference between themselves as the criminals they are trying to take down.

The last addition to the crew is ladies man Jerry (Ryan Gosling) who is reluctant to play with fire, that is until Cohen gives him a solid reason to. In the mess, Jerry falls for Cohen’s etiquette coach Grace (Emma Stone). It means certain death for the two of them if Cohen ever finds out- but what’s the threat of dismemberment in the face of young love? Stone and Gosling reunite for the first time since Crazy, Stupid, Love and again capture the audience with that comfortable chemistry that won over hearts last time around. But despite the romantic aside, this isn’t a romance movie folks. It’s the action that takes centre stage.

An interesting mix of old world allure and brutal violence might leave you in mixed minds about whether this film glamorises the horrifying legacy of Mickey Cohen. One things is for sure, if you don’t like bloodshed then this film is not for you – and you’ll know it from the opening shots of a man being ripped apart by two cars.

Gangster Squad is attractive gangster flick with an impressive cast and lots of action. An added round of applause has to go out for the luscious costume and set design that can’t help steal the spotlight. A good option to please everyone on date night!

Gangster Squad is in cinemas now.

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Paige

Directed by: Jason Moore
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin
Sassi’s Star Rating: 3/5

The beginning of new girl power comedy Pitch Perfect is spew. Like literally projectile vomit.

Barden College’s female only A Capella group faces a humiliating defeat at the collegiate finals when their uptight soloist Aubrey (Anna Camp) blows chunks all over the audience during their competition piece. The laughing stock of their campus, the Barden Bellas can’t exactly execute a coup d’état without any one willing to join their group. The once prestigious group are forced to lower their standards (to no standards at all) in order to get enough members to forge a comeback. They’re letting just about anyone in – and that incudes Beca (Anna Kendrick).

Kendrick leans on her Tony nominated roots for the role of Beca – the angst ridden, too cool for school alt kid DJ with the golden pipes. Falling into the Barden Bellas by circumstance, Beca is their most reluctant member. Her eagerness to experiment and break the mould don’t make her fast friends with the group’s conservative leader Aubrey. Neither does her growing flirtation with the fun loving Jesse (Skylar Astin), a member of the groups arch rivals – male A Capella group The Treble Makers.

This band of misfits has a log way to go before they can make it to the top; and that is if they can ever make it there with outdated pop tunes and saccharine choreography.

Kendrick is charming in the role of Beca, but the one you won’t be able to walk away without talking about is Aussie Rebel Wilson, who is at her riotous best in this flick. Playing Fat Amy (self titled) Rebel steals every scene with some sensational ad lib and the perfect timing we have come to love her for. Having garnered some well deserved attention in the states all signs point to this comedienne riding this wave of recognition to well deserved success.

Produced by Elizabeth Banks – who very smartly bought the rights to the non fiction book of the same name – this feel good flick is full of enough self effacing laughs to keep a non-Glee audience happy.  A blend of performance and action keeps the pace rolling (though there was room for more signing!). A curious story arc emerges with Brit Freddie Stroma and then fades away before it eventuates. Me thinks something good was clumsily cut out here! Yet despite its faults (and stereotypes) Pitch Perfect is a whole lot of fun which is guaranteed to have you dancing in your seats.

A feel good chick flick with some solid tunes and a great cast: Pitch Perfect is in cinemas now.

Get pitch slapped today!

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Paige

Directed by: Robert Lorenz
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman
Sassi’s Star Rating: 3.5/5

You might know where this good old fashioned sports movie is going to take you, but that doesn’t make it any less of an enjoyable ride. Behind the baseball jargon The Trouble with the Curve is a heartfelt story about a broken father-daughter bond, and the importance of heart and instinct in the age of statistics and technology.

Aging baseball scout Gus (Eastwood) is loosing his eyesight, and with it his ability to do his job. Devoted to the game (and his work) his entire life, retirement equals a life without purpose. Good friend Pete sees Gus being forced out by the new breed of corporate sleaze (headed by Matthew Lillard) and convinces his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to a sabbatical from her successful Law career to help Gus out with one last draft.

Adams is on fire as the tightly strung workaholic with a huge, gaping whole where the knowledge of her fathers love should be. She and Eastwood circle around each other with expert capacity before going par for par in an all out battle of wills. It’s not an easy task to hold yourself against Dirty Harry, but Adams doesn’t bat an eyelash. Let’s just forget that the last time we saw Eastwood clash with a rival, it was an empty chair at August’s Republican National Convention.

Yet Eastwood’s recent eccentricities feed perfectly into his portrayal of Gus, cranky and bordering on the edge of senility. Close ups of the haggard face of a man clinging to the edges of his independence while he struggles to read the paper, use the bathroom, and walk across his living room are uncomfortable. They’re not the images we are used to associating with the quintessential tough guy of modern cinema. It makes you wonder how many more Eastwood films there will be to come.

Robert Lorenz makes a solid directorial debut with this film, though he has spent a long time training wit the best; working as a Second Unit Director on numerous Eastwood projects from Bridges of Madison County all the way to Million Dollar Baby.

Newlywed Timberlake gets a look in as new scout on the block Johnny, who shines a light for Mickey. He gets more likable as the movie progresses but it is hard to pretend that there is a lot in the way of chemistry between Hollywood’s golden children.

Likeable performances and good writing keep this sports drama rolling, while good pacing never lets the sometimes heavy plot become weighed down. There’s enough to keep this film interesting for both sexes on date night. Plus who doesn’t feel good watching the underdog give the proverbial one finger salute to uncaring suits (figuratively anyway)?

For a well crafted sports flick that you can both enjoy The Trouble with the Curve is in cinemas now.

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Paige