It was a workmanlike effort

Rating: Null/10 (12 February 2014)

Before we go any further, the use of the word "tasked" to describe something that one has been asked to do, did not come into popular culture until the Harvard types invented it in the '70's. Its use is as bad as "these athletes are expected to medal". Phew!, now that I've got that off my chest I feel better. Apart from that minor script lapse,this wasn't a bad movie. It wasn't anything that would blow you away and there were really no memorable scenes but I didn't feel the need to storm out like some of the reviewers. I like George Clooney and he seems seems like a nice guy but he ain't no soldier. Matt Damon and Cate Blanchette played pretty good roles. John Goodman and Bill Murray were right on the edge of producing something fabulous but this story didn't allow them room. As for the guy who played Preston, well he is just the best , from the T.V executive on Seinfeld to just about any part I've seen him in since, Balaban has been superb.
I kept getting Sam Epstein mixed up with the star of Inside Llewyn Davies so I was dissing him in my mind, but he put in a solid performance. Like so many of the movies these days this was just a good TV show without the ads. TV shows from the cable companies are much better than anything that Hollywood turns out lately. To summarize, I think that Cate is showing what a superb actress she is in every new movie she appears in and she was the bright spot in this effort. I'm very hard to please, so don't stay home because of me, it is an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Oh one more thing before I go .. I would love to know how many stars were on the US flag that's above the entrance to the mine. I'm asking because Hawaii and Alaska weren't admitted 'til the late '50s.