Clooney's Leatherheads

I was a big fan of George Clooney's first two directorial efforts, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind and Good Night, And Good Luck, both of which revealed him to be a smart and talented filmmaker with visual acumen and something to say, rather than an actor trying to make himself look good on camera. I haven't yet seen Leatherheads, which hasn't, as far as I'm aware, screened here in the UK despite coming out in a couple of weeks' time. In fact, the US reviews are only just trickling out, with Variety's Todd McCarthy's feelings mixed. "In his third spin behind the camera, George Clooney attempts one of the hardest things there is to do — re-create the fizz of old Hollywood screwball comedies — and creates just a mild buzz. Leatherheads, a larky romp about the early days of professional football, aims only to please and proves perfectly amiable, but ultimate effect is one of much energy expended to minimal payoff. Arch and funny in equal measure, this looks like a theatrical non-starter that Clooney fans and football devotees might be tempted to check out down the line on DVD or on the tube."