If you were a sports agent who invited dozens of media members and baseball scouts to see a couple of unknown Indian kids, you would not wear a Los Angeles Dodgers hat at the tryout. (OK, I got that off my chest.) “Million Dollar Arm” (2014) stars a cliche of a hotshot agent who thinks India might be an untapped source of baseball talent – and baseball marketing dollars. There’s an awkwardly forced love interest subplot, too. Everyone learns a lot about themselves (it’s a Disney film). Just meh. In India, cows may have souls. Unfortunately, “Million Dollar Arm” does not.
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When I was a kid, I never wanted to be a magician, so maybe I can’t appreciate “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” (2013). I hate to use reviewerspeak, but Steve Carell stars in an uneven movie that follows a formulaic plot (dude was a star, now a has-been, hits rock bottom, tries to find his mojo, hijinks ensue, gets the girl, learns something about himself, blah, blah, blah). Jim Carrey, who I think is generally gross, plays Burt’s rival, a generally gross illusionist. There are funny parts, but there’s also an unlikeable, coarse edge that too many comedies have these days.
I say it all the time, but I have to praise filmmakers who can pull suspense from a true story. I mean, you already know how it turns out. Take “Argo” (2012). You already know the Americans hiding in the Canadian embassy get out, yet you constantly worry that they won’t. Why? Ben Affleck creates a sympathetic character as a flawed CIA agent trying to rescue them. And John Goodman and Alan Arkin are a fantastic diversion as Hollywood players selling the fake movie that is Affleck’s cover story. I think it’s safe to say Affleck has recovered from Bennifer.
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