Clint Eastwood and his monster career demands respect. The man is an acting icon from Dirty Harry to the Man with No Name and a powerhouse director who, for the last decade, has been working at clip that is rivaled only by Woody Allen’s annual offerings.
So it is out of respect that I begin my review for “Trouble with the Curve” focusing on the positive aspects of the film.
1- There is a nice, intimate scene where Clint visits his deceased wife’s gravestone. He pours her a glass of beer, speaks of his woes and sings a gravel-soaked rendition of “You are My Sunshine”. It’s a great scene despite the fact that it involves Mr. Eastwood talking to another inanimate object. I teared up but please note that I am a wimp.
2- Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams share enough chemistry to make their scenes watchable. This is despite the fact that there courtship rambles on and on with no concern for pacing. Sorry. The negative is starting to creep in and since the two decent things about “Trouble with the Curve” have been covered let us move forward.
Mr. Eastwood swore back in 2008 that his turn in “Grand Turino” marked the end of his acting career. The role would have been a perfect swan song and he should have left well enough alone. But “Trouble with the Curve” is directed by Robert Lorenz, a man who has work at Clint’s side since 1994 as both producer and assistant director and “Curve” marks his directorial debut. It would be no stretch to say that Clint has left thespian retirement to be in this movie out of loyalty and friendship. Unfortunately, the project is amateurish and plodding, proving that Mr. Lorenz makes a better sidekick than a leader.
Clint plays Gus, a gnarled and weathered baseball scout who is losing his vision. It’s pretty hard to watch a baseball game without eyes. His near-estranged daughter, Mickey (Adams), is a fast shuffling power-attorney who doesn’t have a minute to spare. With her father ailing, she is forced to stop her life for awhile and go to his side. This forces her to confront her issues with him: Abandonment, Emotional Dysfunctions et. al. Old dogs, new tricks and all that jazz. Then Justin shows up for some romance subplot action and so forth.
Eastwood’s performance shows some rust and many scenes are plagued with a forced quality that does nothing to hide the soft nature of the material. This is something that would play nicely on ABC Family Channel but is not fit for the big screen. The only thing that elevates it is the cast who are only there to share some time with a legend. The movie meanders, goes nowhere and ends with one of the most ridiculous Hollywood endings in recent years.
If this turns out to be the final Eastwood film, it is a shame. I purpose one more project for the man before he truly retires: A remake of “My Dinner with Andre” starting Clint and Christian Bale’s Batman. That would make my throat hurt just listening to it.