Read it, roll it, hole it

Rating: Null/10 (16 June 2014)

Directed by Bill Paxton, "The Greatest Game Ever Played" stars Shia LaBeouf as Francis Ouimet, the first amateur golfer to win the US Open.
"Game" was produced by Walt Disney studios, and so is wholly generic. We get the usual inspirational messages ("dont give up on your dreams", "be all you can be" etc), much forced sentimentality and the various well-worn clichés typical of underdog movies.
Still, it's not all bad. "Game" was directed by the lovable Bill Paxton ("Game over, man!"), who does well to delve into the class divides of early 20th century America. As he's an actor himself, Paxton also coaxes good performances from his cast, particularly LaBeouf and Elias Koteas. Their characters are broadly sketched, larger-than-life and almost mythological. Also impressive is the film's set design, with full scale turn-of-the-century towns, and some fine interior wood-work. Considering Paxton's never directed a big budget feature before, his direction in "Game" is impressive, particularly his handling of architecture and wide spaces.
7.9/10 – Worth one viewing.