George Clooney is often regarded as a classic movie star, and his roles tend to reflect that. But so do many of the films in his directorial career, which take on a classic, old Hollywood style such as Good Night & Good Luck, Monuments Men, and now The Boys in the Boat. The inspirational sports drama about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that miraculously defied the odds on the way to championships and the Berlin Olympics, is handsomely made and features postcard-worthy shots of glistening water. With its old-fashioned story of Depression Era triumph it’s probably a movie that your grandpa is really looking forward to, while everyone else in the family goes to see something else with a bit more edge.
A dashing Callum Turner plays struggling University of Washington student Joe Rantz. With no family and no money, Joe is seeking a means of paying the tuition that’s due. He’s a resourceful, affable guy, though. He can fix a shoe using some wadded-up newspaper if he has to. And while he’s stubborn, Joe will eventually head to the nearby soup kitchen to eat. He’s even managed to catch the eye of Joyce (Hadley Robinson), a childhood friend who has been flirting with him for ages.
When a school chum mentions the rowing team, Joe initially has no interest. But when he hears that it offers pay and lodging, he’s in. But first he’ll have to survive the punishing tryouts by coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton), and beat out the hundreds of other poor guys looking to make the squad.
As you probably guessed, Joe does make the team, and soon he and his mates are teaching those stuffy Ivy Leaguers what working-class muscle can do. Even if you don’t know the historical aspects of the story, the screenplay by Mark L. Smith (adapted from Daniel James Brown’s book) offers few surprises. It’s a little odd that a story centered on the team aspects of rowing puts nearly all of the focus on one man, Joe, but it’s also tough to deny that Turner makes for an impressive leading man. The Green Room and Fantastic Beasts actor, a native Englishman, carries himself with poise and makes a striking figure.
Heart-swelling music by Alexandre Desplat and sun-kissed cinematography by Martin Ruhe lift Clooney’s efficient storytelling. Like the men at the heart of this film, Clooney’s effort is workmanlike, getting the job done with no fuss. Even when the team makes it to Berlin to face the Nazi crowds with Adolf Hitler himself watching, The Boys in the Boat proceeds steadily, assuredly, but with little thrill. This is the kind of movie that will be shown in classrooms but rarely will it be chosen to be the entertainment.
The Boys in the Boat is in theaters now.
