Art meets life with Ben Affleck playing an addicted 40-something with a career and life slump — and a layup shot at redemption. As an actor, he’s playing at the top of his game; think Argo. But the parallels add depth and realism to the familiar story taking place onscreen. Sports-friendly director Gavin O’ Connor (Miracle) keeps everything very real and raw, which services this film well. A glossy take on this familiar film would have been unwatchable. It may be predictable, but there were no false moments nor emotional manipulations.
This movie was originally scheduled for fall of last year when the best films of the year would been more worthy of my limited ticket money. However, now that The Way Back has shot over to the March basketball season, a traditional dumping ground for bad movies, this film is a real treat at the theater.
In a nutshell: A familiar story told well.
Award potential: Ben Affleck is solid in this unshowy role, but not memorable enough to score a nomination next January.
The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.
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