ENTERTAINMENT
Cast:Jon Hamm, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal, Alan Arkin, Lake Bell, Aasif Mandvi, Pitobash Tripathi, Darshan Jariwala
Director:Craig Gillespie Rating: ***1/2
What's it about:
Million Dollar Arm is a story that needed to be told. A tale of two small town boys from India making into the big premier league of American baseball on the merit of their handwork and dedication remained buried in the newsprint and TV reels for years. Now Craig Gillespie puts together a stellar ensemble that chronicles the journey of Rinku (Suraj) and Dinesh (Madhur) from their modest beginnings to the meteoric rise as two charismatic sportsmen. Jon Hamm plays their mentor and sports agent J.B. Bernstein who is battling his own demons and going against all odds to prove his find isn't just a fluke.
What's hot:
It isn't an ordinary story of an underdog pitched against a sports background. All the characters in the film have something unique to offer. Apart from the boys Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal who are top notch, Pitobash also has a quirky yet important role as a interpreter who also documents everything happening around him and provides some light and humorous moments with his whacky take on life. Hamm is in great form and plays Bernstein effortlessly. There are times when you can feel his pain and empathise with his frustration as he undertakes the biggest challenge of his life. Alan Arkin stands out and shows why you can do more with less in the few scenes written for him. With India as a constant backdrop in the story, Gillespie manages to showcase the dichotomy of his characters who are initially awkward to embrace the strange foreign culture they are pushed into.
What's not:
The curse of the second half sets in quite early on as we realise not much is happening at the pace we expected. Especially when the boys reach LA, instead of focussing on their story we get to see the half baked and a bit cheesy romantic track with J.B. and his next door tenant. While it does induce those 'awwww' moments when she dolls up into a Indian outfit or the boys discuss chicken curry and daal, the set up seems quite made up. It would have been nice to have the real Rinku and Dinesh make a cameo towards the end or give us their own version of this incredible journey.
What to do:
An uplifting inspirational story of two individuals who rose above their shortcomings, Million Dollar Arm is highly recommended for its sincere and honest attempt to prove that dreams whether American or Indian can come true.
SEBI's first reaction on Gautam Adani bribery case, begins inquiry into...
Meet Hyderabad girl who began NEET preparation in class 7, scored 99.9 percentile, secured AIR...
Badshah breaks his silence on dating rumours with Pakistani star Hania Aamir: ‘We have a lot of…’
Delhi pollution: Air quality deteriorates to 'severe' category in Delhi-NCR; AQI at 419
'I think bro is her EX': Man performs risky bike stunt with burqa-clad woman in Bangladesh, watch
Viral video: Little girl's power-packed dance to 'beer song' melts hearts online, watch
Explained: Why India must win the 1st Test against Australia in Perth
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here