George Clooney has gone from directing unique films like CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, and THE IDES OF MARCH to super traditional ones like THE TENDER BAR, and now, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT. In my review of THE TENDER BAR, I said, “Clooney continues his good, not great streak. Here’s to him directing something more original in his next outing.” Sadly, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is another basic movie showcasing that Clooney needs better and more originally written material for him to direct.
At one point, the coach played by Joel Edgerton in a serviceable role says, “It looks good on paper.” The same could be said for this movie. It has everything you need for a feel-good Christmas Day film.
- Inspirational true-life sports story based on the 1939 Washington rowing team.
- Great technical aspects from music, cinematography, and production design.
- It’s a sports movie that’s not about the Holocaust, yet the Germans are still the enemy.
I’m all for conventional sports biopics. They are light-weight this time of year when studios push serious Oscar contenders. Yet, where THE BOYS IN THE BOAT fails is by making it about one boy out of the eight. We only get a little backstory or details on any of the other rowers, which causes it to fall short of other sports classics about teams like MIRACLE, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, and A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN.
It’s available in theatres on Christmas Day.