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Massawyrm Loves, But Can't Quite Recommend, LEATHERHEADS!!
Hola all. Massawyrm here.
I have this buddy Jason. He’s one of those “Coolest guys I know” kind of characters. After a bad marriage disintegrated, Jason decided he was going to live in the reality of his own choosing. And that reality happened to involve Dean Martin records, martinis and a living room right out of a copy of the Uptown Living Fall 1958 Catalog. It’s hideous. And he loves it. This past weekend I was out furniture shopping with my wife and we came across a store that was selling this old school hipster furniture. Tucked away in the back was a mock den that looked as if it were pulled right out of one of Jason’s wet dreams. You could almost see the grit, grain and fuzzy, smudgy, out of focus photography of the classic Playboy shoot that took place on the couch. I smiled at my wife. “Oh my God, how bad would Jason want this den?”
“Yeah,” she laughed “but it’s not for us. Come on, that lamp is making me queasy.”
That den? That den is Leatherheads. It is not for everyone. It is for that special breed of person who often pines for another cinematic time and place. Persons like myself. And Harry. And Moriarty. Now that’s not to say that we don’t in any way enjoy the film styles of today – I think that’s pretty self evident at this point – but rather it is for those that occasionally like to go back. To experience an age when innuendo prevailed over raunch, when a screwball chase inevitably led to someone quick changing into their pursuers clothes, when a good joke was an incredibly subtle joke.
It is very clear what Clooney was thinking when he directed this thing. He’s made no bones about his intense love for the Coen’s and this movie definitely feels like he’s aping the period those two went through earlier this decade. Unfortunately for Clooney – and much like what the Coen’s later experienced – this doesn’t in any way capture the same kind of broad appeal that O Brother Where Art thou? managed. In fact it doesn’t feel anything at all like their films, despite seeming to try. Instead this feels more like the great 1998 indie classic The Imposters, which was another niche attempt at making a 30’s era screwball comedy – that time harking back to the screwball buddy movie.
I love The Imposters and I love this for all the same reasons. I love the return to a bygone era. I love that the film refuses to throw in some anachronisms or tries to get us to laugh at the ignorance or customs of the period. They aren’t winking at the camera every chance they get. Clooney legitimately is in love with the period of time he’s putting us in. And he legitimately loves the style of filmmaking.
Now, that said, anytime you make a movie that the people who love it feel the need to explain themselves, well, you’re in trouble. While I think this movie is very funny, and I adore its heart and its pining for the times of innocence, I can’t strongly recommend it. Not to anyone who isn’t already sold by now. It is a film that is so specific about what it is, it delivers little to those looking for something a little diffeent. Unlike the brilliant Down With Love which parodied the style of filmmaking while being in love with it, Clooney’s decision to play it straight both delivers a unique experience and narrows the band on the audience that will really get into this. Not that Down With Love had a broad appeal – but this one is even slimmer than that.
Now, I don’t think that many, if any people, are going to think this is a particularly bad film. Just that most will shrug not quite sure what to make of it. But if this has sounded in any way enticing or if the mention of The Imposters really rang your bell, then this is definitely worth a look. For what this is, it is perfectly executed – not on par with the greats of the era, but definitely on par with the really goods. But if a period screwball comedy sounds just a little whack to you – you might want to take a pass on this and leave that den where it belongs. In the dreams of others.
Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.
Massawyrm
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Seriously George Clondawg and Bono should just ego fuck each other and create the biggest douche in the universe.
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Although He did make Batman look like he had parkinson's.
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This will get Cloondawg his best director nom. You know he's earned it.
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I just fucking hate Cloontang. He is just such a douche, plus Fabio made him his bitch.
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Unlike most on these talkbacks...I'm not trying to knock anyone's opinion. I can see where you hate the guy though. I have friends who don't like him either so I am sometimes in the minority.
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You should go read the talkbacks for the DK pics. I was blasting Batman Begins and there were people trying to wipe me from the planet. ahahaha. Young tards. They don't know any better so it's ok.
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You know I kind of liked the Imposters. But thats because Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt are too goofy kind of guys who have that sort of flapper era slapstick about them. Now Mr. Office and Nipples its just a battle of the smugest. See who look directly into the camera and give that look that says "Man, whats going on here, huh. Silly people I'll cool". Hopefully after this and License to Wed John will stay on the small screen.
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Jesus Christ, are you serious? That movie was so fucked up you'd think it was directed by Donald Rumsfeld. Zero chemistry, Zero believability and a dragging plot that went absolutely nowhere.
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"The Last Great American Actor" my ass.
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Yeah i knew you weren't I just fucking hate Nipple man.
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I've got to echo the DOWN WITH LOVE love. Well, maybe not "love," but "liked an awful lot." That was a surprisingly good movie.
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I felt this guy had legitimate charm and I was rooting for him for the longest time, but it's been a long time since Out of Sight, which wasn't even greatness, just really goodness, so I think George and I just have to go our separate ways.Everything this guy does is a lame attempt to build a cult around himself. Maybe his vain preachy posturing is just making his lack of talent more apparent or maybe it's just that his talents all lie in fields that really annoy me. Either way, I'm done with this guy.Now Mel Goddamn Gibson, there's a genius on both sides of the camera. Make 'Apocalypto II: Colonize This!' and I'm there.
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Is because the writers from the 30's to the 50's came from of a literary background and movie writers after that just watched other movies and copied them. Today, wit in a movie consists of a fart joke cleverly juxtaposed with a puke joke followed by someone kicking a little dog.
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...don't forget shirtless dancing fat guys, profane old people, and Viagra jokes. Ahhh, this truly is a golden age.
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The wife and I might see it this weekend.
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Munich was fucking phenomenal man.
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Yeah i totally get what your saying about Jorge. Like he wants to be Americas favorite actor so bad. I bet he thinks he's Americas favorite actor. And he just comes off so smug and lame in his movies. At least Brad Pitt tries to act a little (outside of the Oceans movies). Plus I feel that while Brad Pitt is full of himself as well, he knows he is lucky. Clooney acts like he deserves it. Whats especially irritating is that George Clooney in waiting Patrick Dempsey.
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Munich = utter shite. Even more so, because it did what bands do when they make a bad cd. Call it political, kind of like Green Day and American Idiot. Speilberg did with Munich, he made up some big political thing. Yeah parts of Munich are based on facts, but a lot of it is just made up and people totally bought it as the thruth. Then again I wasn't a big fan of Saving Private Ryan but at least I can see that its epic in scale with a small story at heart. Both pale next to the List though. Just Munich lacked any good acting, Daniel Craig and Eric Bana are not very good actors. I wish Bana would just do comedy, seeing thats where he started. He is trying to hard to be Russell Crowe, just stop doing serious roles and do some comedy. And Danny Craig, stick to action. Can't wait to see you play another jew again.
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I laughed when Clooney got yanked from the railcar. Not a belly buster, but i laughed.
I laughed when they told the radio station manager that there was another fella with them who would sign with an X
I laughed when Clooney said, "well this place is just a geographical oddity. Its about 3 weeks from god damned everywhere!"
I laughed when the one dumb guy (names, places, my weaknesses) says in deadpanned drawl, "george yer foldin money's come loose" and "oooh george not tha livestock!!"
I laughed when the general store manager said, "an stay out tha woolworths" and later the dumb guy says, "do you think he meant ALL the woolworths?"
Granted, these were not belly laugh moments, but they were funny moments of dialogue that entertained me. There's probably more that Id need to watch again to remember. -
this fucking 1982 forum. I listed about 10 other times when I laughed but because this piece of shit website makes us use HTML CODE to actually use it, I lost the whole thing because I forgot to close an argument during a paragraph break. As far as design, this website blows.
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Amazed to see I'm not the only person who liked that little flick. Andwow, so much Clooney hate, all he's done is make consistently modest, good films. But to each their own. I was just thinking how Oceans stars produced three of my favorite films last year (Michael Clayton, Jesse James, Bourne).
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And by trying to recreate that screwball '20 and '30 vibe, but with todays set design experts and cinematography. Interiors are set designed to within an inch of their lives, and the photography has that honeyed glow, its as if we are watching a museum exhibit of screwball comedy, instead of a natural organic comedy based in an actual time and space.
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It convinced me that Jennifer Jason Leigh should have played Lois Lane. And the "wordless hula hoop montage" should be taught in cinematography schools.
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and great review btw...you are my favorite AICN reviewer. I like quirky films that I can't recommend to others, and nothing wrong with other people doing the same.
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There are parts of Hudsucker that I love. Unforunately Leigh's faux-Hepburn delivery wasn't one of them.
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Didja see John on Conan last night? The guy is a natural. Now I don't know if he can command the big screen, but how often is there a leading man type with a Polish last name? Okay, this is coming from a Szymanski....
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I loved the Hudsucker Proxy as well. I watched it a little while ago and it was still good. It wasn't one of those movies I thought was good when I was younger and then is actually crap. Whatever happened to Tim Robbins?
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meant to watch it though and out of TIVO space. Don't get me wrong I like John. He actually seems and comes across as a nice guy. Unlike Cloondawg. He just seems almost way too laid back and natural. Which is fine a TV where he probably plays himself. But I feel like he is just going to keep doing the same thing and never go anywhere. I mean take Zachary Levi from Chuck. He too comes across as a nice guy, with natural charm. He was in a movie called Sprial and while not toally different from his chuck persona, you can see that its different. Plus since I do like John, I don't want him to become a Cloondawg lacky. If the guy plays his cards right and learns to pick much better scripts, or at least pick something that doesn't feel like bland vomit. He could become big. We'll see.
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...stop making excuses for it.
"A GIRL? In the PRESS BOX? How OUTRAGEOUS!!!"
Give me a break. -
Although Tim Robbins did win a best supporting Oscar for Mystic River, he did sort of fall off the map. Remember following Bob Roberts and Dead Man Walking, he looked like the next actor turned director to beat? Well at least he still sleeps with MILF of all time Susan Sarandon...
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Would loving the old Bob Hope/Bing Crosby "Road to...." films suit me for liking this film or would I need to enjoy even more esoteric titles than those? Just wondering, great review.
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Not PAUL Symanski of Florida?
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No sorry...from Michigan.
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Apr 04, 2008 4:44:32 PM CDT
If Clooney looks a little smug and like he deserves his success
by skimn
..its because he does. He had toiled for years on crappy shows and crappy pilots and crappy movies, and had finally found a role in ER that fit him and exposed him to a huge audience. He slowly parlayed that to the position he enjoys now. He seems like a genuinely smart individual, and his film choices reflect that. He knows the Oceans bring the bucks, so he can take next to nothing to get Michael Collins made. Confessions and Good Night are smart, well made films, and his relationalship with Soderburgh should give him some cred, instead of anti-cred. He knows he's a product of Hollywood, and knows how to play that. And say what you will about celebrities and their political causes, when you say Darfur, a part of you thinks Clooney. If it weren't for him, if someone said Darfur, you would answer Dar-wah?? His celebrity and presence helped bring attention to a little known area.
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Michael Clayton....
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Was that furniture store "Hog Wild"?
I've been wanting to see this, as it takes place in Duluth, a nice little city a couple hours north of here. I love seeing movies either filmed or set locally. -
I saw Leatherheads last night and enjoyed it more than I expected. Clooney is very much trying to work from the same mold as the films of that era. I was especially reminded of "It Happened One Night". In fact, there were several times were I thought the whole film should've been in Black and White. Sadly this means Massa, you are right. This isn't going to be for everyone. This is especially not a film for the crowd who don't even notice the Classics section when they rush over to the New Releases at Blockbusters.
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I might give this a chance. . .
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ran his mouth about the country that made him wealthy. Only the liberal fuckwits of boards like this enjoy hearing their country trashed and being told what to think by actors.
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Apr 05, 2008 8:45:20 AM CDT
Am I the only one who didn't get the Michael Clayton hype?
by spandau belly
I thought it was a well built movie and all, but it just wasn't anything beyond your average John Grisham legal thriller of yesteryear. I actually think it is that everybody takes this Clooney guy too seriously that this Clayton film somehow became an Oscar nominee/winner instead of just a movie that you feel comfortable recommending to people you know with very pedestrian tastes. If it had been Affleck in the lead role, that's what would've happened, Michael Clayton would've gotten the same shrug of mild entertainment that Changing Lanes (a very similiar film) got.
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Apr 05, 2008 10:20:14 AM CDT
This is a Clooney anti-US military rant disguised as a period co
by punisher5150
I posted a lengthy talkback on Capone's review page for this movie, and I don't want to repeat myself, but if you are planning on seeing this movie, it is not what it was advertised to be.
I used to like George Clooney's movies up until about 5 or 6 years ago. I saw this movie last night with my two sons and all I can say is that Universal and Clooney owe me money back for false advertising!
George needs to get over himself and go back to making non-political movies and comedies instead of this crap. Or if he is going to make crap like this, at least advertise it for what it is (statement about the evils of the U.S. military) instead of something it is not (screwball comedy).
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