Draft Day is very nearly stunning!

Rating: 9/10 (18 April 2014)

Here are a few facts to ponder going into this review. First of all, I'm a HUGE Kevin Costner fan and am thoroughly enjoying his resurgence in theatres already in 2014. Simply because of my love for him I was eagerly anticipating this. Some were comparing it to Moneyball and that made me nervous because frankly I thought Moneyball was a stone cold dud. I am NOT a huge sports fan. I go to the occasional game for fun (Baseball and Hockey preferably) and outside of playing a little football in High School, I am not a football fan by any stretch of the imagination. One IMDb reviewer opened their review by saying that anyone who wasn't interested in football or the draft would find this boring...I couldn't disagree more. Reitman (a brilliant director in my books) has created a film that simply anyone can enjoy. You will find yourself enthralled by these characters and you will feel the amazing tension, the stress, the minute by minute thrill of being amongst these people making vital decisions to their team. It isn't about whether this time is successful (we don't even find that out) its simply about the Draft as the title implies and I was riveted to put it mildly. The script is brilliant, the dialogue is very smart and keeps you watching for each moment as it changes. Regardless of your football knowledge or expertise or lack thereof, you will follow this and just have a great time doing it.
Kevin Costner is charismatic period. He certainly loves his sports film and name one he's done that wasn't good or is considered a "classic" now. Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Tin Cup, For The Love of The Game...they're all at least very watchable. Draft Day is deserving to sit amongst them but it is a very different sort of "sports movie." Costner's Sonny Weaver is a fascinating character. You will literally see and feel his stress and tension and what he's going through and then you watch the pay off as he casually yells "I LOVE THIS JOB." Costner was bang on. I find it hard to really sink myself into Jennifer Garner as an actress. She's cute and fun but when I see her in films like this that require a certain amount of intensity, seriousness and drama. She comes across almost bored and just doesn't seem to manage the role as deep as she should. She is okay in Draft Day, her chemistry with Costner is decent (and believable given their age difference) and I suppose her subtle performance leaves room for Costner to really shine. Another reason Draft Day is so good is the amazing whose who of character actors in supporting roles. Chadwick Boseman, Patrick St. Esprit, Terry Crews, Frank Langella, Denis Leary, Timothy Simons, Sean Combs and Tom Welling each deserve mention for their respective roles. I handpicked those supporting performances because small or big they each had a moment that was perfect. For most of them it was scenes exchanging dialogue with Costner and it was simply well done to say the least. Welling (whom I am also a big fan of from Smallville days) has literally one significant scene and it was enough for me to go...wow. Josh Pence was a little underwhelming in his role as coveted quarterback Bo. I think the role could have been great but he doesn't put much into it and is quite generic. I also don't quite understand the role played by Griffin Newman who might be some sort of comedic relief but is really expendable and goes nowhere.
Legendary director and producer Ivan Reitman very nearly always tells an incredibly entertaining story. He brings the most out of these characters and makes them so vivid and most importantly has a way of making you feel like you are right there...no matter how ridiculous the concept. Draft Day is obviously very realistic but he deserves such great kudos for crafting a story that I believe anyone can sink themselves into. He didn't disappoint me one bit and my expectations were decently high. Move over Moneyball (I don't care how much critics liked it and the ridiculous Oscar nominations it got) this was superior in every single way. Football fans will enjoy the myriad of NFL'ers playing themselves and the film is laid out in such a way to subtly explain everything to those of us not familiar with the sport. Draft Day is a must see and I guarantee will hold its own in the hall of fame for sports films. An absolute pleasure! 9/10