The Boys in the Boat (2023)

User Review

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  ScreenZealots

  5 / 10

  Based on the New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel by Daniel James Brown, “The Boys in the Boat” tells the story of the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This rousing, crowd pleasing underdog tale of American pride isn’t going to shatter any expectations, but director George Clooney delivers a solid, entertaining film with universal appeal.
  
  The inspirational true story follows a group of dark horse college athletes at the height of the Great Depression who are given the seemingly impossible task: take on the most elite rivals from around the world. Even if you are unfamiliar with the story, you can already guess the outcome (because, spoiler alert: nobody wants to see a film like this where “our boys” come back empty handed). The predictability and formulaic nature of the narrative doesn’t do the movie any favors, but the good, solid storytelling delivers the sports movie you’d expect with more than enough appealing charm.
  
  The performances are competent but none in particular stand out from the pack, and it’s truly a team effort from the cast (which includes Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Sam Strike, Hadley Robinson, and Thomas Elms). Clooney directs with an old fashioned sensibility and style that is fitting for the subject, and Martin Ruhe‘s lovely cinematography transports viewers back in time.
  
  With its share of excessively sentimental and inspirational moments that feel corny, “The Boys in the Boat” comes across as exceedingly formulaic. It’s so well directed and acted that none of that really matters, though. The end result is a solid yet slightly forgettable historical sports film.
  
  By: Louisa Moore for Screen Zealots

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