great inspirational story

Rating: 8/10 (15 April 2015)

Jon Hamm stars in "Million Dollar Arm" from 2014, also with Lake Bell, Alan Arkin, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, and Darshan Jariwala. This is based on a true story.
A down and nearly out agent, J. B. Bernstein, comes up with the idea of having a reality-show type competition finding Indian cricket players and turning them into pro baseball players in the U.S. He convinces one of his investors to go along with it.
At first, it's hopeless, but eventually they find two young men with great arms, though they don't play cricket, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel. They travel to the U.S. to train and then compete.
It turns out to be more than just a competition, particularly for Bernstein, who realizes slowly that he's not doing his job right. He's treating the competition as a business and leaving the emotions of these boys dangling.
Well made if predictable film and a wonderful feel-good story of these young men, far from their country, homesick, trying to adapt to Los Angeles, baseball, American food, and big homes; and it's also the story of a smart but desperate man who loses sight of what's important.
Maybe I'm prejudiced, but I happen to think that Jon Hamm is an excellent actor. Granted, in the beginning, the character is closer to Don Draper in his shallowness; character differences are subtle. He's a little less formal and a little more energetic than Don. But like his Don Draper, his performance is multilayered. He's a very internalized actor, but when his character becomes angry, watch out.
Alan Arkin is hilarious, and Lake Bell is just right as the medical student next door.
The Indian actors do a tremendous job as young men taken out of their village and thrown into a strange world. They are totally convincing.
I actually didn't recognize Bill Pullman as the team coach working with the competitors. He is quite good.
Highly recommended.