Clooney charms, even in the mud

William O’Donnell, staff

George Clooney has aged just enough to begin displaying the sort of leading-man presence that allows him to simply stand silently, slightly smiling, and watch his charm overtake the room. Clooney managed to smooth his way into some charming little silent glances, shared with leading lady Renée Zellweger, which succeed in maintaining Leatherheads’ light-hearted atmosphere without the need for dialogue, not that this film goes completely without it. Clooney and Zellweger get many chances to battle with their banter, all done in the spirit of the fast-talking films of the ’40s.

Leatherheads is the story of American pro-football in the mid-’20s. The league searches for a boost in order to get people in the stands or more teams risk folding, as many already have. “Dodge” Connelly (Clooney) gets the idea to bring in college all-star Carter Rutherford (The Office’s John Krasinski) in hopes that his fan base will follow him from the college league to the pros. All the while, Chicago Tribute reporter Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) is assigned to debunk Rutherford’s tale of bravery from the First World War for the paper’s biggest story.

The ins and outs of the plot are quite easy to follow, and few surprises arise. Despite all this, this film still wrangles enough goofy charm to keep it entertaining, which is helped in no small measure by the appearances of character actors like Stephen Root (Milton from Office Space).

The film essentially runs on charm. Clooney (as both star and director) is clearly acting self-aware with the sort of shtick this film presents. Fist fights break out at regular intervals, but nobody gets bruised until it is needed for a joke. Clooney is oozing dapperness, until it’s time for his face to literally get caked in mud for a juicy contrast. Heck, Clooney and Zellweger actually do the clothes-switch gag while running from the cops. I half-expected Benny Hill music to break out at that point. This film finds a way to go for the easy jokes that we have forgotten about. Swears get their one gag, drunkenness gets one likewise, but the rest is left to the sweeter side of comedy — namely fast wits, unusual characters and good old-fashioned falling down on your bottom.

The film has something to say about the idea of celebrity within professional sports as well as the advent of commissioners. Though deeper messages take a back burner to the comedy, the film still makes a point, as the star football player gets movie offers, countless endorsements, not to mention having a whole sports league form around him.

Leatherheads offers some genuine laughs that the audience does not have to work too hard for, and they should not have to. The plot does not get sucked into the romantic subplot too far or let the dramatic side of the plot take over. Comedy is the name of the game here and it sticks to the rules, just like the new age of pro football.