There’s a certain amount of false advertising in the trailers for Leatherheads, the new George Clooney/Renée Zellweger movie set in the early days of professional American football. The trailers suggest it’s a rom-com. Yet there’s not much romance and there’s not much comedy.
It has its moments, don’t get me wrong, but ultimately this is a drama, with a touch of comedy and a touch of romance. And it’s a reasonably worthwhile drama, because even if the subject matter isn’t all that interesting, especially for a UK audience, the style of the film and its ‘homage-matter’ will appeal to anyone who’s ever watched an old black and white movie.