Every so often the best looking man in the Retired Orangemen
Fantasy Football League goes to the movies (yes, just like the
rest of you). Sometimes I go with one of my many lady friends.
Still other times I go with fellow ROFFL members. After viewing
these movies, I form an opinion. Here in a new column, exclusive
to retiredorangemen.com, is Five Second Stare at the Movies.
There are 5 ratings:
HANDSOME
GOOD-LOOKING
DECENT
IF I HAD A FEW DRINKS IN ME
GROSS
Fantasy Football League goes to the movies (yes, just like the
rest of you). Sometimes I go with one of my many lady friends.
Still other times I go with fellow ROFFL members. After viewing
these movies, I form an opinion. Here in a new column, exclusive
to retiredorangemen.com, is Five Second Stare at the Movies.
There are 5 ratings:
HANDSOME
GOOD-LOOKING
DECENT
IF I HAD A FEW DRINKS IN ME
GROSS
 |
 |
The formula is automatic. I’m almost ashamed that it pulls me in so effortlessly. From the opening shots of a
heartbroken Philadelphia, I already feel bad for our hero, Vincent Papale.
The movie, based on real life zero-to-hero Vincent Papale (played with ease by Mark Whalberg), is very by-the-
book. We first meet Papale and his friends at a rugby game in a parking lot in Philly. The games are brutal and
Papale is clearly the most gifted. Than again, it’s not like he’s playing with Herman Edwards.
Things are not good for Vinny’s friends. One has no job, another could be on strike in days, and another hasn’t
been the same since his brother came back from ‘Nam. And to top it all off, his beloved Philadelphia Eagles are the
worst team in football. Papale is also in a bad mood, which is understandable when you lose your wife and job on
the same day.
But life gets better for Papale when new Eagles head coach Dick Vermiel (Greg Kinnear) invites all of Philadelphia
for open tryouts. I would tell you more about the tryouts in the film but the screen kept on going black… Kips Bay
Loews, they got what you need.
Wouldn’t you know it, but Vincent Papale is the only man worth taking a shot on and the rest of the movie is his
struggle to make the team, while somehow saving an entire city.
“Invincible” works on only one level, but it works so well at it that we forget that we’re on a leash. There are scenes
that are clearly not believable (do you think other players really hated Papale because he didn’t play college ball?)
but Whalberg, who is a better actor than people give him credit for (see I Heart Huckabees for proof) is perfectly cast
as Papale and he gives the movie and some hammy scenes a lot of creditability. The love interest in the flick is
played by Elizabeth Banks, the gorgeous bookstore girl from the 40-Year-Old Virgin who had a problem with her
underpants. She’s good but has a problem hitting a New York City accent; I think she throws some Boston in there.
The two have good chemistry but not much time is given to the romance. I would have preferred the film to not
concentrate on Vermiel at all, but Kinnear does what he can with the thin role.
Overall, the film is relatively attractive for 3 reasons. One, in a movie like this you want to really feel like you are in
the time and place. Whalberg and director Ericson Core (who is a very good cinematographer) really place you in
downtown Philly where the life might suck, but the corner bars are still good. Two, the football scenes; there could
have been more, but the action on the football field feels real and is very effective. Three, because the screen kept
on getting fucked up while Jarrett and I were there, we got a refund.
This means that a review of Little Miss Sunshine is coming soon.
heartbroken Philadelphia, I already feel bad for our hero, Vincent Papale.
The movie, based on real life zero-to-hero Vincent Papale (played with ease by Mark Whalberg), is very by-the-
book. We first meet Papale and his friends at a rugby game in a parking lot in Philly. The games are brutal and
Papale is clearly the most gifted. Than again, it’s not like he’s playing with Herman Edwards.
Things are not good for Vinny’s friends. One has no job, another could be on strike in days, and another hasn’t
been the same since his brother came back from ‘Nam. And to top it all off, his beloved Philadelphia Eagles are the
worst team in football. Papale is also in a bad mood, which is understandable when you lose your wife and job on
the same day.
But life gets better for Papale when new Eagles head coach Dick Vermiel (Greg Kinnear) invites all of Philadelphia
for open tryouts. I would tell you more about the tryouts in the film but the screen kept on going black… Kips Bay
Loews, they got what you need.
Wouldn’t you know it, but Vincent Papale is the only man worth taking a shot on and the rest of the movie is his
struggle to make the team, while somehow saving an entire city.
“Invincible” works on only one level, but it works so well at it that we forget that we’re on a leash. There are scenes
that are clearly not believable (do you think other players really hated Papale because he didn’t play college ball?)
but Whalberg, who is a better actor than people give him credit for (see I Heart Huckabees for proof) is perfectly cast
as Papale and he gives the movie and some hammy scenes a lot of creditability. The love interest in the flick is
played by Elizabeth Banks, the gorgeous bookstore girl from the 40-Year-Old Virgin who had a problem with her
underpants. She’s good but has a problem hitting a New York City accent; I think she throws some Boston in there.
The two have good chemistry but not much time is given to the romance. I would have preferred the film to not
concentrate on Vermiel at all, but Kinnear does what he can with the thin role.
Overall, the film is relatively attractive for 3 reasons. One, in a movie like this you want to really feel like you are in
the time and place. Whalberg and director Ericson Core (who is a very good cinematographer) really place you in
downtown Philly where the life might suck, but the corner bars are still good. Two, the football scenes; there could
have been more, but the action on the football field feels real and is very effective. Three, because the screen kept
on getting fucked up while Jarrett and I were there, we got a refund.
This means that a review of Little Miss Sunshine is coming soon.