Review of Leatherheads (2008) by Andy M — 25 Nov 2008

Any homage to screwball Golden Age comedies is welcome and deeply appreciated. But the intentions here sometimes seem at odds with the story (which aggressively pinballs between tones), and the characters don't seem to have quirks, so much as they have rather twee affectations.

Clooney has lots of moments of Cary Grant charm, but he also mugs like crazy. Krasinski is easrnest and appealing, coming off best, but Zellwegger is totally miscast, a prissy shrew in a role that sings out for hard boiled moxie.

Clooney is a good director, and he had good ideas here, but in order to invoke favorable comparisons to Nick and Nora and Tracey and Hepburn, ideas are not enough.