Sunday 11 May 2014

Film Review- Million Dollar Arm






The Arm Aadmis

Film: Million Dollar Arm
Cast: Jon Hamm, Pithobash Tripathy, Suraj Sharma
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Duration: 2 hrs 2 mins
Rating: * * * 1 / 2

Another sports related film and another story of underdogs, though this is a Hollywood film with an Indian connection. Based on a true story of J.B Bernstein, a sports agent, this feel-good film is about two village boys from India who went to play professional baseball in America. While it mostly uses the standard operating procedure of the underdog story, it has a certain charm about it and the writer has done a fine job of creating some wonderful characters, including those who may have a lot of screen time, yet make their presence felt like Alan Arkin for instance.

Bernstein (Jon Hamm) or JB  as he is known, is a sports agent whose company is going downhill, he doesn’t have any reputed players on his contract and along with his partner (Aasif Mandvi), he is struggling to stay afloat. He has a swanky house though, part of which he has rented to a pretty lady and a car though, from his previous earnings. 

Susan Boyle and cricket inspire him to come up with a new idea, to scout for baseball pitchers in India, since cricket is so popular and pitching is somewhat similar to bowling. An American in India can expect the unexpected even when he is readily expecting the unexpected. 

Along with a local coach (Pitobash Tripathy) and a foreign scout (Alan Arkin) they manage to find two guys in Lucknow – Rinku Singh (Suraj ‘Pi’ Sharma) and Dinesh Patel (Madhur ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Mittal) are selected and flown to America. The village boys don’t really know what to expect but most of it is unexpected. Circumstances force them to live in JB’s house and the cultural differences bring in a few laughs and it also all very heart warming.

For most parts the tone of the film is light weight and doesn’t get heavy handed at any point. JB’s tenant (Lake Bell) brings some romance to the table but also plays in important character in bridging the gap between JB and the Indians.

Being a sports film, there will be the expected twists and turns in the plot and you can see them coming. Veterans Bill Paxton and Alan Arkin are apt in their roles, Jon Hamm also hits the right notes. Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal are sincere and Pitobash with his excellent sense of comic timing stands out.

If you want to feel good, try this Million Dollar Arm.


Published in The Navhind Times on 11th May 2014


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