UK Release Date: August 25th 2014A sports agent stages an unconventional recruitment strategy to get talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Baseball.
Director: Craig Gillespie (Fright Night, Lars and the Real Girl)
Starring: John Hamm, Lake Bell, Aasif Mandvi, Tzi Ma, Bill Paxton, Alan Arkin, Pitobash, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal
Disney dominates the feel-good film industry, whether the film's an animation or live action. Million Dollar Arm follows this trend, and it's going to when it's based on a very earnest true story.
JB (Hamm), is a sports agent falling under financial pressure. His only hoping of securing a decent future is in a football player. When the deal falls flat on its face, JB and co worker Aash (Mandvi) wallow in self-pity. Sitting in front of the T.V at home, JB whiles away his time flicking through channels, and stumbles across two programs that give him a flash of inspiration. Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent and English cricket seem the most unlikeliest of pairings, but pay off when Chinese media tycoon Chang (Tzi Ma) agrees to fund Million Dollar Arm; a new show to find talented cricket players and turn them into major league baseball players.
JB is a fish out of water in India. He's bitten off more than he can chew (which can be said for every action he takes). It takes a million and one entries to find one with the slightest potential. He's accompanied by Amit (Pitobash, easily one of the most rewarding and riveting characters), who attaches himself to JB, confessing his passion to be a baseball manager (and he'll also work for free) and grouchy baseball scout Ray (Arkin, outstanding) who spends most of his time sleeping, only to waken when someone of interest crops up.
The stars of the show are Rinku (Sharma, Life of Pi) and Dinesh (Mittal, Slumdog Millionaire). Along with Amit, the trio breath life in to the film. They are cultivating and captivating. It doesn't matter that the ending is foreseeable, their good-natured spirits break through our thoughts and feelings and make us hope they succeed. They know very little of the outside world. When the successful participants end up in America, they are in a situation they are unsuited to. They are sweet, honest and caring, especially to JB, and ruefully so.
Hamm's character is both the strongest and the weakest link. All he cares about is winning, ridiculing those around him in the process. There's little connection with him and the audience because he complains about being skint but drives a flashy car and house to boot. It's the transition of meanness to selflessness that makes him appealing to begin with, but mainly those that surround him make this film as good as it is.
Million Dollar Arm is very funny. It's no Jerry Maguire or Slumdog Millionaire. It has no new ideas of its own. Instead it takes the best of both that make it a great summer drama of 2014.
4/5
Hamm's character is both the strongest and the weakest link. All he cares about is winning, ridiculing those around him in the process. There's little connection with him and the audience because he complains about being skint but drives a flashy car and house to boot. It's the transition of meanness to selflessness that makes him appealing to begin with, but mainly those that surround him make this film as good as it is.
Million Dollar Arm is very funny. It's no Jerry Maguire or Slumdog Millionaire. It has no new ideas of its own. Instead it takes the best of both that make it a great summer drama of 2014.
4/5
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