While it isn't normally a compliment to label a film as "pleasant", the new George Clooney-directed historical sports film The Boys in the Boat can certainly only be described as so.
While clunky, on-the-nose and laden with sports clichés, it nonetheless has charm galore and a narrative that will leave you with that warm and fuzzy feeling that sports films seem to specialise in.
Based on a true story, The Boys in the Boat follows a motley crew of university students in 1930s’ Seattle who beat off stiff competition to earn a coveted position on the college’s junior varsity rowing team.
Among them is Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) who grew up in abject poverty, reflecting the post-Wall Street crash dumpster fire that was the US economy for countless Americans in the '30s. His sole motivation for getting on the team is the salary and accommodation it provides, that he so desperately needs to stay in college.
We follow the newbie rowers as they embark on a Rocky-esque training regime and their quest for glory on a local, national and international stage.
While very much not rocking the boat in terms of storyline, this film stays afloat with a likeable protagonist to root for and plenty of moments that will have you on the edge of your seat, urging the athletes on.
The sport of rowing and the sheer physicality it demands are showcased in exemplary fashion throughout.
Also captured well is the the essence of the period. Spectators at one regatta view and keep up with the race while aboard a converted train that glides alongside the river, perfectly demonstrating sport in the pre-video camera world.
Turner does very well in the lead role but several weaker and somewhat cheesy performances from the supporting cast let the ensemble down.
The film suffers greatly from a lack of character development right across the board outside of the lead character. Sam Strike is heavily established as an important character early on - as Rantz's best friend Roger in college - but then bizarrely is barely shown or says anything after the first 15 minutes of the film. Likewise, the backstory of replacement coxswain Bobby Moch (ably played by Luke Slattery) is oddly hinted at but never explained.
Sports film clichés? It’s got ‘em all – a hardened-by-loss coach who’s given one last chance to turn things around, the privileged opposition versus the scrappy upstarts, an emotional speech at the film’s climax, and comebacks galore.
Strong sporting visuals, plenty of touching moments and a sincere message somehow manage to hold the film together and allow it to overcome its flaws.
The Boys in the Boat is in cinemas from Friday 12 January.
