The year is 1925 and the unruly game of professional American football is struggling to retain enough sponsorship to keep its head above water as the nation rushes headlong towards the Great Depression. Captain of the Duluth Bulldogs, "Dodge" Connelly (George Clooney) hits on the idea of recruiting star college player and war hero, Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski), to attract larger crowds and thereby greater corporate sponsorship. Meanwhile fiery journo dish, Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger), is despatched to expose Carter's war hero status as a sham and finds herself at the centre of a love triangle between Dodge and Carter. Chasing the good ol' days, Dodge gradually becomes alienated from his own creation as a new and dangerous element creeps into American football - government regulation and rules!

There's a duality to the film which is a little unsettling in these modern times; our hero figure (Clooney) champions the old, no-holds-barred days of American football where on-field violence and cheating is commonplace, resisting the new regimented, safety conscious era which will inevitably result in the players losing control over the game. But it's best not to superimpose the values of the present onto the past and just go with the fun. And there's ample fun to be had.

Perennial sports fan, George Clooney is as good as ever, lampooning it up in the tradition of O Brother Where Art Thou. Renée Zellweger provides the perfect counter part to Clooney. Sparking off of each other magnificently, it's a shame the pair don't share more screen time as this is where the real magic of the film lies.

Marking his third directorial effort, Clooney basks every scene in the glow of the golden age of Hollywood and he does it much more effectively and affectionately than the (by contrast) stupendously budgeted Indiana Jones 4. But like Good Night, and Good Luck, there's a crucial element missing which stops it from leaping off the screen and sucking you in completely.

The film is certainly a lot of fun while it lasts and it proves Clooney to be an accomplished director but it's memory soon fades after leaving the auditorium.

7.5 out of 10