I do like a good sports movie. Especially if it’s more or less all true. The reason to find this decade old hidden gem is primarily the curiosity factor of seeing the talents of the sadly gone-too-soon Chadwick Boseman – most famous for his portrayal of the fictional icon of T’Challa AKA Black Panther. But there is a lot more to admire than only Boseman’s assured presence.
Harrison Ford is the stoic coach who believes Jackie Robinson – the first African American to play major league baseball in 1947 – can make it big. It is an old-school approach to storytelling, without many frills or tricks of editing or playing around with timelines. It conveys pertinently and concisely the struggles he faced, breaking into a white man’s world. The negative publicity and racist backlash vs. those who saw only a great sportsman capable of becoming a legend of the game.
Boseman embodies the role with the same effortless style he always carried. There is a sadness mixed with an ineffable greatness about him, which is hard to explain. There is something of the eternal in him. The supporting cast (light on female characters) is perfectly fine, and Ford gets to have his own quiet moments of well-timed grace and emotion.
Perhaps, though it is the representation of the period and place, in such a matter of fact way, that is the real selling point of this only just above average biopic. Nothing feels touched-up or anachronistic; every detail of the production feels genuine without being flashy. As a starting point to understand the civil rights struggles of the time, it is a decent one. As a portrait of a life, it is satisfying if not completely revelatory.
A recommended watch for a relaxed mood, without high expectations.
Decinemal Rating: 68
The Wasteland 