Leatherheads (2008)

Leatherheads is a highly enjoyable movie, full of period-era sets and language that throws you back into the days during World War II- though it doesn't completely set you back in that day, as George Clooney and John Krasinski still act in a way that tries to be throwback, but remains modern.

With that said, there are plenty of enjoyable laughs in this movie, with a decent mix of football action and an intriguing romantic triangle. Perhaps there could have been a little more football, but at its expense came plenty of laughs and really good scenes between Clooney-Krasinski, Clooney-Renee Zellwinger, and Krasinski-Zellwinger.

It's interesting to see how professional football, and professional sports in general, were treated back in the days when other professions paid more. The 40's-style music sets the audience back into that period, if to a fault.

All of the actors really bring a good game to this movie, which surprised me in that it wasn't as much about football as I expected, but about the falsities of supposed war heroes, heroes that a country needed to believe in at that time (and still does).

I recommended this movie, co-written by acclaimed Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly for both fans of sports history, and for those looking for good laughs that throws you back into an earlier day.