Better than expected

Rating: 8/10 (3 February 2018)

Have to say that I am truly shocked that this movie was not talked about like it should have been. Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood, is a baseball scout nearing the age of retirement that is struggling with old age and staying relevant in the business and to be a good father to his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams). This is not your standard sports movie that focuses on winning and losing, it rather is a film designed to show a theme that somethings are hard for a reason. The editing used in this film creates a story of pros and cons between technology and hard work, as well as, the hard decisions that a single father had to make.
I love baseball and I was expecting a little more of it throughout this movie, but like all other Eastwood movies, I was sucked into the drama packed storyline in this movie. Between the struggles with Gus's age, technology trying to replace scouting experts, the tattered relationship between and father and daughter, and the reluctance to enter a relationship, I found myself watching closer and closer. I imagined this movie to be a lot like Money Ball but was sadly mistaken. Between the up and coming actors, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake (Johnny Flanagan), and the well-established actors, John Goodman (Pete Klein) and Clint Eastwood, the acting was on point and very believable. Director Robert Lorenz did an amazing job of piecing together a few different plots into one cohesive film. The motif and the seldom used blurry camera view were instrumental in showing the viewer that although some things seem to be apparent, sometimes you have to dig deeper to find the answer.
All the plot points that I identified throughout this movie fit into my thematic ideas that somethings are hard for reason and that you have look beyond the obvious to find the answer. It was amazing that Robert Lorenz was able to take these three very different plots and convert them into one cohesive movie was amazing. This is a must see and will keep watching till the end. If you think that it is just about sports, your wrong. This would be a great compromise for the couple that wants to watch a movie that will keep both of them entertained.