A Game Worth Playing (****)
If ever a movie star has been unfairly critiqued it is Kevin
Costner. Sure his films Waterworld and The
Postman weren't great but they were no worse than a lot of stuff that comes
out of Hollywood these days. His standing as an actor has suffered and as a result
audiences are now cautious when they see a film with "starring Kevin Costner" in
the titles. This is a shame because the man can still make some pretty worthwhile
films.
In For Love of the Game,
Costner returns to the baseball-oriented films (Field of Dreams
and Bull Durham) that made him a star. He seems quite at
home playing these type of roles and for good reason; for when it comes to making baseball
films nobody does it better.
Now to be fair, For Love of the Game is not essentially a baseball
film. There is baseball in it, but the action on the field takes somewhat of a back seat
to the action that happens off the field.
It is a tale of aging pitcher Billy Chapel (Costner) who is getting
near the end of his illustrious career. On the morning before what could be his last
game, Chapel's on-again, off-again girlfriend (played by the immensely likeable Kelly
Preston) tells him that their affair is over.
It is now, during what shapes as the greatest day is his career,
that Chapel must decide his future as he recalls his past. Standing on the the mound
at New York's Yankee Stadium, he remembers all the important moments that led him to the
position he know finds himself in.
Director Sam Raimi (known by most for his Evil Dead
movies) does a wonderful job portraying the the conflict felt by Chapel. Raimi
interweaves shots of the "television coverage" of the baseball game which
ensures that the action does not become stale.
There is just enough emphasis on the baseball game to ensure that
the audience's attention never strays from the real intention of the story. The
movie moves along well which is important because, at 145 minutes long, any loss of
momentum would be enough for a lot of viewers to tune out.
(Note: The following could give away vital
points to the storyline so if you wish not to read it then just continue reading the
visible print. For everyone else, scroll between the two #
to read on - Ed)
# The ending is typically
sugar-coated. Chappel pitches the perfect game and reunites with his girlfriend. It
is predictable but it works well. To end it any other way would have been disappointing.#
For Love of the Game did little business at the box office either here or in the United States. That's a
shame because the film is an engaging tale that is well shot and it displays the real
talent of Kevin Costner.
Let's hope it finds an audience on video.
- Adam Matthews
FOR LOVE OF THE
GAME IS AVAILABLE NOW ON VIDEO AND D.V.D
