Time For A Little Baseball in January... "Million Dollar Arm"

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

PG

Starring Jon Hamm, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal

Directed by Craig Gillespie

The Story:

JB (Hamm) is a sports agent who is being outspent and out hustled by the bigger agents in town. So he concocts a try-out for players of cricket in India to be the next big thing in Major League Baseball. When the tryout doesn't go as planned, JB isn't quite sure what to do.

That's when he decides to be a better person.

Awwww...

Did I mention this was based on a true story?

No, I didn't.

But it is.

And it's not a bad story...

But boy is it LOOOOOONG.

Clocking in at over 2 hours, it feels every bit of it, and a bit more even.

: /

Disney needs to learn how to shave a bit of the time off these true-life dramas and get to the point a bit quicker.

Naturally, you can guess how the story ends, so I won't say they make a professional team because that would be a major spoiler.

Oops again.

: )

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'll have to go with once was enough on this one. Not every baseball movie is a surefire hit.

3.14 Reasons To Watch "Life of Pi"

Mmm... Pi...

The Story:

A writer (Rafe Spall) comes to Canada to talk to a man named Pi (Irrfan Khan) about a story that he hears will be fantastical.  Pi relates how when he was a boy (Suraj Sharma), his family died in a shipwreck, and he survived on the open ocean for over 200 days alone in a boat.

With a Bengal Tiger...

You think to yourself, seriously?  This was a book... and they turned it into a movie?  That must be a great story.

Depends on your point of view.

I went in with no expectations, and not really wanting to see it.  I mean, it's directed by Ang Lee, and he couldn't even film a decent version of the Hulk for Marvel.  : /

But he redeems himself here.  What's real, what's special effects... hard to gauge in this one.  It is a visually stunning movie.  Perhaps the most beautiful movie you'll watch all year.

As the story unfolds, you get wrapped into it, and like the clever breaks in The Princess Bride, we cut back to now every once in a while to get some clarity or perspective.

However, you listen, transfixed to this man's story...

And then it's over.

And then he tells another one, and it's heartbreaking and sad.

And then the whole point of the movie is made.

Some people love it, some people feel tricked.

You can probably guess by my grade where I fell.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Potential: Very likely on both counts.  The fact of the matter is, I've already watched it twice already, and I think it was even better the second time around.  Ang Lee, you've redeemed yourself for me... at least for now. : )