George Clooney once against steps behind the lens to direct this inspiring tale of human endeavour, based on the best-selling book by Daniel James Brown. ‘The Boys in the Boat’ is very much a film in the vein of the classic Hollywood underdog trope, delivering an unexpectedly engaging and exciting (true-life) account of a group of young men who make history during the depression-era.
The plot tells the story of the University of Washington crew that were chosen to represent the United States of America in the ‘Men’s Eight Rowing’ at the 1936 Summer Olympic games. These games famously took place during tumultuous times in Berlin, during the rise of Nazi Germany.
The film is primarily approached from the point of view of Joe Rantz (Callum Turner), a young man, who having been abandoned by his father after his mother had passed when he was just a teenager, struggled to survive. But Joe was determined to make it to college to study engineering. To pay for his tuition, he heard that there were paid jobs going for anyone who successfully tried out for the college row team. Once there, Joe finds his teammates become brothers, and an unexpected direction of purpose in his life as coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton) takes him under his guideship.
Callum Turner leads the film very well. Joe Rantz is a stoic character by nature, but Turner manages to convey all the emotions needed to really sell this real-life drama, and fully engages with the viewer. Joe falls for a sassy student named Joyce Simdars, played to perfection by ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the LA Lakers’ star Hadley Robinson. It’s a small role, but she manages to light up the screen every time she’s on it, giving depth and relatability to Joe’s character too.
Joel Edgerton is as reliable as ever, and he’s perfectly cast as the University of Washington head coach Al Ulbrickson. He also shares a nice chemistry with ‘Cobra Kai’ star Courtney Henggeler, who plays Al’s wife Helen. We all know how good a character actor Peter Guinness is, with his unmistakable voice lending itself perfectly to his role here as boatbuilder George Pocock, who plays a big role in nurturing Joe through some difficult moments in his life.
The rest of the ensemble are all solid. If there is a criticism, it’s perhaps that there should have been more time devoted to a few of the other crew’s backstories too. Roger Morris (played by Sam Strike), Don Hume (Jack Mulhern), Chuck Day (Thomas Elms), Bobby Moch (Luke Slattery), Jim McMillin (Wil Coban), Gordy Adam (Joel Phillimore), Shorty Hunt (Bruce Herbelin-Earle) and Johnny White (Tom Varey) all deserved a bit more depth given their contributions to the story.
The film is shot beautifully by George Clooney, who clearly knows exactly what he wanted to deliver with this film. As mentioned before, this is a movie that draws from classic Hollywood storytelling. That might feel a bit cliched or dated to some viewers today, but it’s exactly what this story needed. In a cynical world with overly opinionated voices clogging up social media, it comes as a refreshing change to see a movie like ‘The Boys in the Boat’ do the basics just right, and deliver a good, old-fashioned underdog story with purpose and energy.
‘The Boys in the Boat’ won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I liked how it approached this story and how it kept me hooked throughout. And this is a fascinating true story too, which is told well with good actors and a director who captures the nostalgia of the era perfectly. ‘The Boys in the Boat’ is a satisfying and engaging drama that deserves a wide audience.
Cast: Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton, Jack Mulhern, Sam Strike, Luke Slattery, Thomas Elms, Tom Varey, Bruce Herbelin-Earle, Wil Coban, Hadley Robinson, Chris Diamantopoulos, James Wolk, Courtney Henggeler, Alec Newman, Peter Guinness, Laurel Lefkow, Sam Douglas, Jaymes Butler, Chris Wilson, Jacob James Beswick, Joel Phillimore, Glenn Wrage, Edward Baker-Duly Director: George Clooney Writer: Daniel James Brown, Mark L. Smith Certificate: 12A Duration: 123 mins Released by: Warner Bros Release date: 12th January 2024
