Leatherheads

Review by Sean Lynch

In a perfect world, we would all live the life of George Clooney. Good looks, endless charm, rich & adored - and living a life doing whatever the hell he likes.

That, dear readers, is the dream.

Leatherheads is the latest pet project from "Clooney : The Director", a delightfully playful 1920's romp with all of the quirky playful charm of Bugsy Malone and none of the 'we have issues to address in order to win an Oscar' stuff most of Clooney's films generally possess.

In it, Clooney plays Dodge Connolly: a charming, brash, aging pro-football hero (a league which is considered a joke when compared to it's more respected & popular cousin, College Football) who is determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums.

But after the players lose their sponsor and the entire league faces certain collapse, Dodge convinces a war hero & college football star (The Office's John Krasinski) to join his ragtag ranks. 

However it seems that the 'College Golden boy' is too good to be true, leading to feisty journalist Lexie Littleton (the ever squinty Reneee Zellweger) putting all her efforts to bring him down... from the inside! That is, of course, if she can avoid the romantic advances of Dodge and Rutherford in the process!

Everything about Leatherheads seemed to work for mine. From the classic sepia-toned Universal logo at the beginning of the film, to the quick witted Vaudevillian humour which is generously laced throughout the film - Clooney has woven together a quality comedy with a good dose of originality to boot.

Clooney & Zellweger share a surprising amount of chemistry, with their fast paced dialogue delivering the sort of wit which has sadly been absent from cinematic comedy for far to long.

Cleverly written, superb performances - and most importantly - a great deal of fun.

4.5 out of 5

Leatherheads
Australian release: 29th May, 2008
Official Site: Leatherheads
Cast: George Clooney, John Krasinski, Renée Zellweger, Jack Thompson
Director: George Clooney